Aral and Lekkerland have extended their partnership in the German forecourt market by five years, to 2028.
The companies plan to expand and develop the REWE To Go concept at Aral locations, in cooperation with Lekkerland.
Through the partnership, Aral said that it plans to invest in fresh snacks, cold and warm dishes, hot and cold drinks, and test new products.
Lekkerland is an exclusive delivery partner for a number of ranges offered at Aral's 1,200 locations in Germany.
'As Easy As Possible'
“We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers," commented Achim Bothe, CEO of Aral. "In the past, the retail business was inextricably linked to the purchase of fuel.
"Today we see that more and more customers only use our shops for shopping."
In 2014, Aral opened ten pilot locations with REWE To Go shops. The concept has since expanded to more than 850 Aral outlets and is being further rolled out across Germany.
Lekkerland is part of the German retail group, REWE, while Aral is BP's petrol station brand in Germany.
Convenience Sector In Germany
Patrick Steppe, chief executive officer of Lekkerland SE, said, "The convenience sector in Germany has great potential and our Aral network, with REWE To Go shops at attractive, high-traffic locations, will grow to around 900 this year.
"Customers who want to enjoy their break on the go and shop, fill up or charge at the same time can rely on us when it comes to fresh snacks and high-quality coffee specialties."
Over the past two years, REWE To Go customers have bought more than 34 million rolls, 7.5 million sausages and almost three million Crossino Gouda sandwiches, the company added.
'Partnership With Lekkerland'
"We are very pleased to continue our partnership with Lekkerland and to further develop our REWE To Go concept for our customers together," says Jo Hayward, vice-president of BP 's convenience Europe division.
"The convenience sector in Germany is growing because more and more people are eating on the go and are increasingly shopping for groceries. As part of the energy and mobility transition, customers will spend more time at our locations as they charge their e-vehicles," Hayward added.
The partnership with Lekkerland is the largest European convenience agreement for BP.
Convenience is one of BP's growth engines, along with electromobility, hydrogen, bioenergy and renewable energies, the company said.
By 2030, BP seeks to increase its number of convenience stores worldwide from around 2,450 to more than 3,500.
In addition, in Germany, Aral pulse is seeking to expand its ultra-fast charging network to more than 5,000 charging points by 2025.
