A third of motorists have switched to supermarket filling stations this year as a result of retailers doling out fuel vouchers.
The vouchers are also now used by more than two thirds of drivers (69%), according to a survey of more than 18,000 motorists carried out by the AA.
The survey also revealed that convenience stores at fuel stations are tempting almost one in three motorists (31%) to carry out time-saving top-up grocery shops while filling up their cars. But their popularity may now be causing queues at the pumps.
“Top-up shopping at fuel stations serves a very useful function in allowing drivers to chain together trips to preserve fuel consumption, but motorists are complaining they now have difficulty getting to the pumps,” said a spokesman for the AA.
And a separate EU fuel study found motorists were twice as likely in Britain to “often wait in a queue to fill up their vehicle” than elsewhere in Europe.
Parking is also an issue, with one in five drivers questioned by the AA admitting they park at the pumps while they shop for items other than petrol rather than move to a dedicated bay. A further 16% argued there wasn’t enough space to park elsewhere.
However, Petrol Retailers Association chairman Brian Madderson said space at the pumps “is not a major issue” and that 45% of independent forecourts now had major symbol brand convenience stores. “It’s proved a very successful business model that’s hugely popular with consumers.”
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