Prague, April 15, 2019 – Benzina, the
largest network of filling stations in the Czech Republic, has opened its first
outlet in Slovakia. At the Benzina station in Malacky, Slovak drivers can now
refuel additivated and purifying fuels Efecta 95 and Efecta Diesel, as well as
premium fuels Verva 100 and Verva Diesel. For those who refuel 30 liters of
fuel or more by May 12, Benzina has prepared a competition for tickets to the
games of the Slovak or Czech team at the 2019 IIHF World Ice Hockey
Championship.
The newly opened Benzina station in Malacky is a refurbished site taken
over from its previous operator. It should not remain alone for long because it
is Benzina’s strategic objective to build as wide a network of filling stations
in Slovakia as possible. Expansion will primarily include cooperation with
minor filling station operators, but the company is also open to acquisitions
of larger chains. This strategy was successfully applied in the Czech Republic
and Benzina is thus entering the Slovak market as No. 1 in the Czech Republic in
terms of the number of filling stations and the volume of vehicle fuels sold.
“Our investment in
Slovakia will be implemented on a long-term basis. We will proceed step by step
and we are convinced that we will become one of the major players on the Slovak
market. Having ten outlets by the end of the year would be a great success, but
for us, compliance with the designed business model is more important than a
high pace of development,” says Tomasz Wiatrak, Vice
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Unipetrol Group who is in charge of
the retail segment.
The refurbishment of the newly opened facility in Malacky included the
renovation of the entire technological facilities, including tanks, pipes and
façade of the shop. Brand new pumps were installed as well as a modern
information pole in the typical Benzina design.
“We will expand the
station’s offer in the second half of the year to include our Stop Café
refreshment concept. Slovak customers may be looking forward to delicious
coffee made to the original recipe in Belgium and their popular hot dogs. We
offer a high standard of quality of purifying fuels and wide selection of
supplementary products including refreshment that is so successful in the Czech
Republic. Sales of supplementary products have grown by more than 50% over the
past six years and sales of refreshments have even tripled,” adds Marek Zouvala, director of the Benzina network.
Benzina is re-entering Slovakia after 15 years. The
brand alone was born in the then Czechoslovakia in 1953 when the Ministry of
Chemical Industry used this brand to replace the original name, Benzinol, used
for filling stations since 1949 when nationalisation took place, creating a
single state-controlled network. During the privatisation process after 1989,
Benzina was transferred to private owners and temporarily lost the right to use
the brand on the Slovak market. Benzina is now returning to Slovakia as a
leader on the Czech market where it runs the widest chain of 412 filling
stations and controls one fourth of the market by volume of fuels sold.
Benzina is part of the Unipetrol group
and operates the largest network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic. In
the 61 years of its existence it underwent a speedy development. It is a
traditional and at the same time modern brand of Czech motorists,
characteristic by high quality of fuel as well as customer services. In
addition to EFECTA fuels with a cleaning effect, Benzina also offers premium
fuels VERVA and a wide range of refreshments at the gastronomic concept, STOP
CAFE. Benzina also issues its own EASY and BUSINESS fuel cards, in total
operating 412 filling stations with a market share of 23.2%. It entered the Slovak market this year when it rolled out its
first filling station in Malacky in April.
More at www.benzina.cz, www.facebook.com/Benzina.cz or https://www.instagram.com/benzinacz/
Try mobile applications Benzina Platby (Payments) and Mycí Digi
Linka (Digi Car Wash), freely downloadable on Android iOS.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesman, Telephone No.: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz