Esso has come out as the biggest brand in forecourts for the second year running.
New analysis from The Grocer’s sister publication Forecourt Trader reveals that the number of UK forecourts bearing the Esso name jumped 164 to 1,432 in the year to 31 May.
Forecourt Trader’s Fuel Market Review 2026, which is compiled with data provided by myAutomate and Informed Sources, found that Esso extended its lead on BP, which grew by just nine to have 1,166 canopies.
Shell came in at number three with 949 canopies sporting its brand, down 185 on last year. Shell’s loss is mostly due to Top 50 indie MFG’s decision to switch fuel supplier at 125 of its sites.
Valero Energy’s Texaco brand’s number of branded canopies was down 58 to 604, while the Valero brand has 76 more canopies, taking its total to 112. MFG has played a part in that success, having committed to switching 70 of its sites to the Valero name.
On 31 May 2026, MyAutomate’s data reported there were 8,338 forecourts open and trading across the UK – down 11 sites on last year’s figure. Forecourt experts suggested the declines could be attributed to a large number of sites that had been closed temporarily for redevelopment.
“It has been a challenging year for the forecourt sector, with global events driving a spike in fuel prices – with retailers often wrongly blamed for ‘profiteering’ from the turbulence – to political decisions closer to home,” said Forecourt Trader editor Juliet Morrison.
“These include uncertainty over the government’s commitment to the speed of the EV transition and confusion around a keynote price transparency initiative. Despite this, the industry has remained resolute, with only a small decline in overall numbers of operational sites, a trend probably caused more by closures for refurbishment than a shrinking market.
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