The Fragmented Forecourt: Episode 2 - From Petrol Stations To Mobility Hubs

The Fragmented Forecourt: From Petrol Stations To Mobility HubsFuel and convenience forecourts have quietly become some of the most complex retail environments in the UK. Multiple ownership models, legacy pump technology, growing convenience offers, EV infrastructure, and an expanding mix of attended and unattended payments have created an estate held together by workarounds rather than design.In this episode of The Fragmented Forecourt, Matt Oldham from Attenda joins Ghermaine Henry from Aevi to unpack why fragmentation is not a failure of operators, but the natural outcome of decades of layered decisions and competing priorities.Together, they explore how forecourts have evolved from simple fuel stops into convenience destinations and emerging mobility hubs, and why payments sit at the center of making that shift work for both operators and customers.In this episode, we explore:Why forecourts are fragmented by design, from ownership models to on-site concessions and legacy POSHow adding EV charging, food, car wash, and unattended services increases complexity behind the scenesWhy customers do not care about payments until something breaks and what that means for experience designThe operational and cost challenges of running multiple payment solutions across one siteWhy standardizing payments across fuel, retail, and unattended services is a critical first stepHow EV dwell time changes the economics and purpose of the forecourtThe growing importance of customer understanding and data in environments where ownership is sharedWhat the future forecourt could look like as sites evolve into local mobility and retail hubsRather than chasing a perfect future state, this conversation focuses on practical realities. How operators can simplify what they already have, reduce friction across payments, and create a foundation that supports whatever comes next, whether that is EV growth, new services, or entirely new forms of mobility.If you work in fuel retail, convenience, mobility, or payments and are grappling with legacy systems, fragmented estates, or the challenge of modernizing without disruption, this episode offers a grounded perspective on where to start and what really matters.