Family-owned forecourt and convenience retailer Maxol is investing £3.5 million to redevelop and expand the Maxol Fortwilliam service station in Belfast and Maxol Hilden in Lisburn.
The investment is part of a wider five-year capital investment programme for its network worth £84m that Maxol announced last year to meet the growing demand for convenience-led forecourt services, that include the latest offers across groceries, coffee and food-to-go.
A host of technologies will be used across both sites to reduce their existing carbon footprint and include photovoltaic (solar) panels to reduce electrical import requirements; the use of LED lights; low energy CO2 refrigeration systems with doors fitted throughout each store; and exhaust air-heat pump technology to reduce heating loads on each site. Hilden service station will also have solar-efficient glazing installed.
Maxol is investing £1.9m to significantly re-develop Maxol Fortwilliam and fully utilise the existing footprint of the site to include a new and larger store that will almost double the retail space from 107 sq m to 195 sq m.
The number of grocery and chilled bays will increase significantly, and customers can expect to find a much larger range of locally produced fruit & veg and dairy produce as well as a doubling of frozen food provision.
The development will see Maxol bring the latest food-to-go concepts to customers with a new Delish deli and self-serve chicken bar and the popular Barista Bar will be expanded.
A new reconfigured forecourt will be more spacious and provide customers with wider access to the store. Maxol will continue to service its large customer base with advanced fuels under a new canopy and car parking will increase from nine to twenty-one spaces including two accessible parking bays for greater customer comfort and convenience. New customer facilities will also include a new indoor restroom.
Maxol Fortwilliam is closed for the duration of the development and work is expected to be completed in November. Mark Nelson, Maxol’s independent licensee will return to operate the business.
The £1.6m investment at Hilden service station on the Belfast Road in Lisburn will take place in two phases to enhance and upgrade current customer facilities both on the forecourt and in-store.
In phase one, the shop and forecourt will close for approximately ten weeks while the retail store is newly fitted to the latest Spar concept complete with new shopfront, flooring, open ceiling and lighting.
In phase two of the work, old stores to the rear of the site will be demolished to make way for the re-located and newly equipped car wash and space will be made for more car parking facilities as spaces increase from seven to 22, including two accessible parking bays.
Maxol Group chief executive Brian Donaldson said: “I’m delighted to see the extensive work under way at both service stations as we continue to deliver on our commitment to invest across our network to provide our customers with the best in convenience and food-to-go concepts.
“Once these developments are complete, our customers will be able to shop locally for all their daily needs in a modern and more sustainable environment, with excellence in customer care, led by our experienced licensees at these sites.”