Fuel retailer BP has reopened four UK sites following major upgrades, kicking off a new test-and-learn programme.
The refurbished locations—Pinkham Way in Barnet, Merrow in Guildford, Budbrooke South near Warwick, and Poppleton near York—highlight BP’s latest approach to convenience, store design, and food offerings.
Together, they serve as a live trial for two new retail formats, with a third multi-mission concept slated for next year and the possibility of expanding to up to 20 more sites in 2026.
Across all four sites, BP has rolled out modernised layouts, upgraded Wild Bean Café offerings, and new self-checkout technology, enabling customers to pay for food and fuel in a single transaction. The upgrades aim to cut queues and provide a faster, more seamless experience for time-pressed shoppers.
Jo Hayward, BP Vice President of Mobility & Convenience UK Retail, said the sites illustrate how customer insights are driving BP’s retail strategy.
“These sites mark the next step in evolving bp’s convenience offer. We’ve listened to what local customers want and redesigned our stores around those insights, whilst maintaining something that is scalable and replicable,” she said.
The trial highlights how different customer groups use forecourts today—from quick top-up shopping in urban areas to fresh, high-quality grab-and-go options at busier roadside locations. All four sites also feature EV charging, with major upgrades at Pinkham Way and Merrow to meet growing demand for fast and reliable charging.
Pinkham Way, situated just off London’s North Circular Road, offers self-checkouts and a refreshed Wild Bean Café serving barista-made coffee, machine coffee, freshly prepared ciabattas, and smoothies. The site also features a refined M&S Food range designed for immediate consumption, including smaller “picky bits” such as mini sausage rolls, according to the retailer.
The site also includes a BP Pulse EV charging hub with 300 kW chargers, first introduced last year.
The Merrow location is BP’s first UK store to feature an in-store M&S bakery, offering freshly baked bread and pastries throughout the day. The store also carries a wider chilled, ambient, and frozen range to support “dinner-for-later” shopping, along with a dedicated gifting section that includes flowers, chocolates, cards, wrapping paper, and an extended wine and fizz selection. Merrow has also expanded its EV charging bays to help reduce waiting times.
Budbrooke South is designed primarily for on-the-go customers, while Poppleton focuses on top-up shopping for evening meals. Together, the four sites enable BP to test how tailored product ranges and store layouts perform across different customer missions.
The current trial is testing two core formats: the top-up shop model at Merrow and Poppleton, which emphasises short-cycle grocery restocks and an expanded premium food offering, and the on-the-go format at Pinkham Way and Budbrooke South, focused on quick, high-quality food-for-now missions supported by an enhanced Wild Bean Café.
A third multi-mission format, blending food-for-now and food-for-later offerings, is scheduled to launch next year. If the trial proves successful, BP plans to roll out the new formats to up to 20 additional UK sites in 2026, reflecting a more insight-driven, segmented approach to forecourt retail in the grocery and convenience sector.