Two major independent European gas station corporations, EFT and Euro Garages, are set to merge and turn their attention to the retail activities surrounding the gas stations in the Benelux and France.
Huge company with 1,450 gas stations
EFR (European Forecourt Retail) and the British Euro Garages will merge to form a new huge company with 1,450 gas stations in their care, including those from BP, Esso and Texaco. EFR has about 250 gas stations in Belgium and more than double that number in the Netherlands, although they are mostly through franchisees). Euro Garages has about 350 gas stations in the United Kingdom (including about 100 Subway stores, 64 Starbucks coffee bars and dozens of Burger Kings).
EFR and Euro Garages have lofty retail plans: Euro Garages already transformed several British gas stations into complete shopping centers and it intends to do the same for a number of its 1,100 EFR locations in the Benelux and France. “EFR wants to learn from what Euro Garages did and it is our goal to develop the retail business in and around our gas stations, both in Belgium and the rest of the Benelux”, it said.
To facilitate the merger, which should be finalized in November 2016, a new holding company was created, called Intervias and led by Tony DeNunzio. He is a renowned CEO with international retail consumer electronics experience and services, including stints at Asda, Maxeda, Dixons Carphone and Pets at Home. 8,500 people will work for the merger company and it has a 6 billion euro annual turnover.
