A lot is changing for gas stations: fuel sales are under pressure as electric mobility is growing, and consumers expect more quality and convenience on the road. So it’s time for Q8 to reinvent its stores. “We no longer want to make the shop a by-product, but a destination in itself,” says Stefanie Grijp, Shop Performance Manager Belux.
Gas station seeks new function
“The key question was: how do we remain relevant when fewer and fewer people need to refuel? With the transition to electric driving, a quarter of fossil fuel sales will soon disappear. Those customers will no longer visit our traditional stations tomorrow.” And there’s more: many Q8 stores are neighborhood stores for people on the go, but the neighborhood store proposition is also under pressure. “Our opening hours are no longer unique, and customers have become more price-sensitive.”
That’s why the stores need to become attractive on their own. “We want to become the quality stop along the way, at any time of the day. We want people to consciously choose to stop at Q8 — because they know they can eat well, relax, use the restroom, or work comfortably.” At the RetailDetail Night, Grijp reveals the game changing idea.
“We already do this well in the morning and afternoon through our collaboration with Panos and Delhaize Shop & Go. But after 3 p.m., things quiet down. That’s why we needed a new concept for the evening. We found it in the Scandinavian Noahs, which is already active in Denmark, Sweden, and even Thailand.”
Order tacos from the gas station
The gas station of the future will thus become a “digital food market” offering tacos, poke bowls, fried chicken, burgers, and more. Grijp: “Noahs was founded by chefs. They offer high-quality food that is easy to prepare, with limited kitchen space and by staff who do not need chef training. That fits perfectly with our stations. And the concept combines physical sales with a strong online component: in Copenhagen, 80% of sales come from online orders.”
How? “In cities, we work with delivery platforms such as Takeaway and Deliveroo to enable deliveries by bicycle couriers.” About half of Q8 gas stations are located in urban areas. The first Noahs location will open in Nivelles in December. Liège and Herstal will follow in early 2026, and Ghent and Turnhout are also scheduled to open by the summer.
Belgium as a test market
“These five pilots will test our assumptions: is the offering simple enough, does it appeal to customers, is the ratio between online and on-site dining right? Denmark is not Belgium – for both parties, this is a first step in this direction.” The goal: to give the stores new meaning. “If we can achieve that, we will be ready for the future.”
For now, Q8 is focusing on Belgium. “Luxembourg is more complex, partly because delivery platforms are less prevalent there. If the Belgian results are good, we want to expand there – especially since we are also focusing on new consumption areas in Luxembourg. In the Netherlands, we are currently working with a different concept, Bakker Bart. That is also new and focuses more on breakfast and lunch. We want to roll that out properly first before we think about anything else.”
Q8 will speak at RetailDetail Night on November 20 during the “Gamechangers” program, together with Xandres, among others. Wouter Kolk (ex Ahold Delhaize), Anais Claes (JBC), Olivier Van den Bossche (MediaMarkt), and others will speak on the main stage afterwards.
