Petrol stations: Running on empty

• Ref:
• Location:
• Type:
• Salary:
• Start Date:

UK Only Article: 
UK article only

Issue: 

Xi’s history lessons

Fly Title: 

Petrol stations

Rubric: 

Though plenty of gas is being guzzled, filling stations have become scarcer

ON A street in London’s East End, among art galleries and upmarket gyms, lies what looks like a filling station. Yet beneath its rickety forecourt roof, the pumps have been replaced by vendors offering a range of faddish foods, including Japanese hot dogs and fish-finger sandwiches devised by a celebrity chef. One thing not on the menu is petrol. The firm that used to run the filling station left the site in 2013; the space is now home to businesses that sell food rather than fuel.
This is a familiar tale. Although combined petrol and diesel consumption has grown by over 75% since 1970, the number of petrol stations has fallen by nearly 80% (see chart). The decline has been especially steep in cities. London has nearly half as many petrol stations per car as the Scottish Highlands; only four remain within the central congestion-charge zone.

The collapse came in two waves. Between the peak in …
Source: Retailing
Petrol stations: Running on empty