Ready meals, liquor, dry-cleaning and haircuts may one day be available at Caltex service stations as the retailer plans to roll out new convenience concepts in the next 12 to 18 months.
Caltex CEO Julian Segal told Fairfax Media the company has no intention of competing directly against supermarket chains Coles or (Caltex’s fuel partner) Woolworths, but sees significant opportunities to extend its food and beverage offer.
Fresh food, salad and pre-prepared meals that could be ordered online or via an app and picked up in-store are some of the options being considered by the retailer.
“We are looking at what is really important to the customer – what are the most valuable things for a customer perspective from a convenience point of view,” Mr Segal said.
Caltex is expected to leverage these assets by creating a fresh food supply chain, a digital platform and a new customer loyalty program.
Caltex is also looking at technology such as number-plate recognition systems to improve its service. Used by some car park operators for ticketless payments, this technology could offer the ultimate in convenience to busy commuters.
