More than five million Disney products or 50,000 cups of coffee a day are just some of the sales figures of the more than 3,000 stores of the Repsol service station network, where 10% of the Spanish population have bought Sun Planet sunglasses over the past five years. New alliances with El Corte Inglés and Amazon are now extending the offering of a network which welcomes more than a million customers daily.

Repsol has focused its priorities on growing its non-oil business, comprising products and services unconnected with energy supply to exploit the competitive advantages "of the huge capillarity of our service stations distributed throughout Spain, and the value of a brand which people associate with quality innovation," explains José Barreiro, Director of the Repsol service station network in Spain.

The aim of the diversification is that "as well as supplying all forms of energy for mobility, we can also offer all the services that represent added value for consumers, to build their loyalty so they act as influencers and attract others".

In 2019
there was almost
one opening
per day of a
Supercor Stop&Go
supermarket
franchise

The key projects for this business include the Waylet app, a customer relationship channel which now has 1.5 million users, and the strategic agreement with El Corte Inglés to open 1,000 Supercor Stop&Go stores within five years, which will make it the largest network of convenience stores in Spain.

The largest convenience store network

The agreement with El Corte Inglés grants Repsol exclusive rights to the Supercor Stop&Go brand, with stores being opened both at Repsol's own service stations and those belonging to its branded franchise network. "During 2019 we opened almost one franchise a day," ending the year with 352 supermarkets in operation and with the aim to reach 500 in 2020, "making us one of the most important franchise operations in Spain."

This project involves two partners who have been cooperating for 20 years now on various commercial initiatives. It also turns El Corte Inglés into the central purchasing platform for Repsol stores, which now have access to a range of 35,000 SKUs in the food segment and over 60,000 more leisure articles, accessories, etc. The department store group also offers its knowledge of the retail sector in this coalition between two companies that are leaders in their respective businesses.

Waylet ecosystem

Repsol has opted for the Waylet app as its universal payment and loyalty tool. Launched in mid-2017, it handles over 30,000 operations per day and can be used for payments not only throughout the Repsol network, but also 4,500 retailers that have joined the "Waylet ecosystem." This serves to provide customers with cross-incentives between different companies, while obtaining information about their tastes so as to customize the offering.

Repsol is
the first retail
company
to launch a
digital payment
method that
functions
without a
cash register

An ecosystem which extends the cooperation with El Corte Inglés through the integration of both companies' means of payment. Waylet can be used at El Corte Inglés shopping centers, while the department store card with its 11 million users is integrated with the Repsol app. When used to make payments at service stations, it credits the user with 4% of the amount to spend at El Corte Inglés.

As part of this digital transformation the energy company is using its Alberto Aguilera (Madrid) and Ugaldebieta (Bilbao) service stations for trial of the first retail payment method of its kind in Spain, without customers needing to queue at the cash register. With Repsol Way&Go, customers use their mobile to scan the product barcode and pay automatically via Waylet, before confirming their purchase at a checkout point. This pilot scheme will be progressively extended "to address increasingly digital customer preferences," continues Barreiro.

Collaboration with premier partners

Repsol also aims to convert its service stations into a relaxation/leisure destination for its customers. "That is why we are investing in quality premises with products from such leading brands as Nespresso, who we have been working with since 2009, and Starbucks, since 2016." The outcome of this alliance with two leading names in the world of coffee "is very positive, as it has positioned our stations as places to enjoy a first-rate coffee at any time of day, benefiting from our long opening hours".

25 service stations
now have Moto Stop
points for the
biker community

Nespresso is present at over 1,000 points of sale across the network. Meanwhile, the Starbucks On The Go corners, with the same appearance and quality as regular Starbucks coffee shops, offer over 120 beverage options in self-service formats. With almost 100 machines already installed and half a million coffees sold per year, Repsol has exclusive rights for service stations in Spain and Portugal.

Another success story is the partnership with Disney and the Sun Planet brand of sunglasses. The 2018/2019 campaign closed with sales of nearly a million Disney products, while for 2019/2020 the traditional Christmas campaign will be accompanied by new launches at other times of year. Every spring/summer a new Sun Planet collection brings a fashionable touch to the Repsol network with almost 4 million pairs sold, making it the leader in this market in Spain.

New trends and consumer segmentation

Amazon customers can also collect their orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the 250 lockers that the online retail multinational has at service stations throughout Spain. The number of Amazon Lockers in place rose by 40% in 2019, providing access by means of a code generated when the purchase is made, a service "aligning Repsol with the latest e-commerce trends, in partnership with the global leader in this business."

To ensure that its network offers all consumer segments the same level of service, Repsol is introducing its new Moto Stop points for bikers, "a customer group that has real affinity with us thanks to our Moto GP sponsorship, and that was looking for specific services." Available at 25 stations, these service points provide a non-slip refuelling area, specific bike-washing bays, and in-store articles such as gloves and puncture repair kits. Over 5,000 bikers were surveyed to ascertain their needs first-hand when designing the new service.

The multi-energy supply of fuel, natural gas for vehicles (NGV), Autogas and electrical charging points already provided at Repsol service stations has now been supplemented by information points where customers can sign up for the company's household electricity and gas supply. The network provides a channel for contact with potential customers, and is one of the energy company's strengths that it aims to exploit as it breaks into the electricity market. A multi-channel strategy intended to benefit the service station business itself, by providing customers who sign up with bonuses via Waylet, the main network loyalty tool.