As of November 2021, the United States' multinational oil and gas firm Esso owned 1,227 petrol stations in the United Kingdom. Ranking second, the British multinational company BP owned 1,218 petrol stations. The only other brand across the nation with more than 1,000 sites was Shell. Although BP owned the second largest number of sites, 11 petrol stations were closed between 2020 and 2021. In 2021, Shell owned a total of 1,122 petrol stations.
Majority of fuel sold at supermarkets
Although large oil and gas companies owned more petrol stations than any other brands, it was supermarkets that sold the largest volumes of fuel. In November 2021, Sainsbury’s had sold approximately 11,773 kiloliters, with Tesco close behind. In comparison, BP sold 4,330 kiloliters. It is easy to see why, when fuel prices from supermarkets are consistently cheaper than the UK average.
European comparisons
At the end of 2020, the number of petrol stations in the UK amounted to 8,385. This was significantly less than the number of petrol stations in Italy where there were 21,750 sites across the country.
Number of petrol stations sites in the United Kingdom (UK) as of November 2021, by brand*
* Includes all operational and under development sites and excludes non-retails.
** The source adds:
Certas Energy includes Gulf, Pace, Power, Scottish Fuels and UK.
CO-OP stands for Co-op Share Brand, and includes sites from various societies operating under their own Co-op branded pole sign; other Co-op dealer sites operating under fuel brands, e.g. Texaco, are shown under that Share brand.
Circle K includes sites branded Topaz.
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Petrol Retailers Association. (January 4, 2022). Number of petrol stations sites in the United Kingdom (UK) as of November 2021, by brand* [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 29, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/312047/petrol-station-sites-by-brand-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
Petrol Retailers Association. "Number of petrol stations sites in the United Kingdom (UK) as of November 2021, by brand*." Chart. January 4, 2022. Statista. Accessed June 29, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/312047/petrol-station-sites-by-brand-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
Petrol Retailers Association. (2022). Number of petrol stations sites in the United Kingdom (UK) as of November 2021, by brand*. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 29, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/312047/petrol-station-sites-by-brand-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
Petrol Retailers Association. "Number of Petrol Stations Sites in The United Kingdom (Uk) as of November 2021, by Brand*." Statista, Statista Inc., 4 Jan 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/312047/petrol-station-sites-by-brand-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
Petrol Retailers Association, Number of petrol stations sites in the United Kingdom (UK) as of November 2021, by brand* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/312047/petrol-station-sites-by-brand-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ (last visited June 29, 2022)
