BP reopens four UK retail sites after major upgrades

BP has reopened four UK retail sites following major upgrades as part of a trial aimed at reshaping its roadside convenience offer.

The sites – Pinkham Way in Barnet, Merrow in Guildford, Budbrooke South near Warwick and Poppleton near York – have been redesigned to reflect different customer shopping habits, ranging from quick stop-offs to top-up food shops for later.

The refurbished stores feature updated layouts, revised food ranges and new self-checkout technology that allows customers to pay for food and fuel in a single transaction. All four locations also offer electric vehicle (EV) charging, with expanded charging capacity at the Merrow and Pinkham Way sites.

Pinkham Way, which reopened on 29 October, is the most advanced of the four and includes an upgraded wildbean cafe, additional self-checkouts and a revised Marks and Spencer Food range aimed at on-the-go customers. The site, located near the North Circular Road, also includes a BP pulse EV charging hub with 300kW chargers.

The Merrow site reopened on 5 November and has been positioned towards customers shopping for food to take home. It is the first BP store in the UK to include an in-store Marks and Spencer bakery, alongside an expanded chilled, ambient and frozen food range. The site also includes a dedicated gifting section and has recently increased the number of EV charging bays.

Budbrooke South reopened on 26 November and Poppleton on 3 December, completing the upgrades planned for this year. Budbrooke South is focused on fast, grab-and-go purchases, while Poppleton has been designed to support top-up shopping for evening meals.

The four sites form part of a ‘test and learn’ programme evaluating two new convenience formats. The top-up shop model, trialled at Merrow and Poppleton, focuses on short-cycle grocery shopping with a broader premium food offer. The on-the-go format, tested at Pinkham Way and Budbrooke South, prioritises speed and ready-to-eat food, supported by an expanded cafe offer.

BP said a third format, combining food-for-now and food-for-later shopping missions, is due to launch next year. If the trial proves successful, the company plans to roll out the new formats to up to 20 additional UK locations in 2026.

Jo Hayward, BP vice president mobility and convenience UK retail, said: “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.”