Spanish retailer El Corte Inglés has partnered with petrol-station operator Repsol to create 'the largest network of convenience stores in Spain'.
Under this agreement, El Corte Inglés will expand its network of Supercor Stop & Go forecourt stores exclusively with Repsol, which operates approximately 3,500 service stations across Spain.
El Corte Inglés will also become the purchasing centre for Repsol's network, giving the forecourt stores access to a range of 35,000 food and 60,000 non-food products.
In addition, Repsol customers will be able to pay for fuel using an El Corte Inglés card, earning rewards to spend in the retailer's stores.
Retail Collaboration
The two companies have worked together for over 20 years with different initiatives, but say that this new agreement 'expands and strengthens the existing collaboration'.
Gildas Aitamaer, senior retail analyst at Lebensmittel Zeitung, said that this partnership is "a raw gem to exploit for both players".
"Partnerships between petrol operators looking to diversify their activity on the one hand, and retailers focusing on developing their small-box proposition on the other, is becoming the standard across Europe," Aitamaer added.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.