BP has announced a major investment plan for the Nelson area.
The investment includes two raze and re-builds for BP 2go Richmond (117 Queen St) and BP 2go Haven Road along with a refit at BP 2go Blenheim.
BP already has a strong presence at the top of the South Island, with a number of independent BP sites operating in the area and multiple agreements with key local businesses supplied out of the Nelson terminal.
But BP Head of Retail, Frank van Hattum, said the company also wanted to bring a new and more varied retail offer into the area.
“We have owned these sites for more than 25 years and they are in need of significant investment to bring them up to scratch so we’ve decided to invest a bit more and convert them to our full BP Connect offer,” he said.
“MS Ford, Michael Hart and the team have done a fantastic job in managing these stores for us over the years and they continue to be really great partners.
“Because the resources required to deliver an expanded offer and run a 24-hour operation are quite significant, we have agreed to take over management of these stores next year.”
MS Ford CEO, Alan Kirby, said the existing stores needed updating.
“People have come to expect more from a local service station these days, so we agree that it’s time to upgrade,” he said.
“We’ve enjoyed our time with BP and it will be hard saying goodbye, but the new stations will be pretty cool and our BP team are excited about working in them.”
Construction is already well under way, with plans in place for the Richmond store to begin trading by April. Haven Road is expected to open in July 2016.
The upgraded sites will have widened lanes for easier access, additional parking spaces, greater pump availability and upgraded bathroom facilities.
With a Wild Bean Cafe offering comfortable seating, free WiFi and free newspapers to read while waiting, the new BP Connect sites will become one-stop shops for locals.
Van Hattum said he expects the Wild Bean Cafe free WiFi to be particularly popular, not to mention that it is the “number one retailer of barista-made coffee in NZ and it has been offering Fairtrade coffee since 2008″.
“We want to share our great coffee with the people of Nelson so they can see, or rather taste, what all the fuss is about,” he said
“Customers can also take home our used coffee grinds and use them in their gardens.”
The new BP Connect store will also be added to the company’s national recycling program that saved more than 800 tonnes of waste from going to landfill and 70 million litres of car wash water in the past 12 months.
The water recycling program means that during times of water restrictions, BP is able to keep its carwash open.
“This is an initiative that other retailers are yet to implement to this level or scale,” van Hattum said.
BP will also be investing in bright energy efficient LED lighting to reduce the site’s power consumption and will be installing heat pump technology that allows exhaust heat from air conditioning and refrigeration plants to be recycled and used to heat the building’s water, delivering a sustainable and cost-effective solution.
The new 24-hour operation will feature a BP Superwash and offer BP’s full suite of fuels across every pump – Unleaded 91, 95, 98 and Ultimate Diesel.
The upgraded stores will secure up to 40 jobs for the local community who will greet upwards of one million customers every year.
“With upgraded stores and a quality offer provided by our fantastic team, we aim to make the customer experience better than they can get elsewhere,” van Hattum concluded.
