“We are expanding our retail network in Europe. We are strengthening our presence in Slovakia, becoming one of the four largest fuel retailers operating in that market. We are also expanding our retail network into a new market, that of Hungary, where we have already established a wholesale presence. As a result of the successful expansion of our sales network, we ensure the security of fuel and energy supplies not only in Poland, but in the entire region of Central and Eastern Europe. Our commitment and market insight will allow us to offer new customers in Europe prime quality products and services tailored to their expectations. The ORLEN-branded stations will open their doors to Hungarian customers in early December,” says Daniel Obajtek, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PKN ORLEN.
Once the transactions are completed, the ORLEN Group will have over 230 outlets in Hungary and Slovakia. With 143 sites in Hungary and 91 sites in Slovakia, the ORLEN group will be among the four largest players on both markets.
“ORLEN is a strong international brand with almost 3,000 filling stations relying on the robust background and inspiring each other by sharing experience and innovations. In Czechia, we are the leader with 430 sites and are now about to reinforce our retail position in Slovakia and enter Hungary. Thus, we vigorously boost the local competition, which will benefit local customers, tourists, and international carriers. They will now have access to our modern Efecta and Verva fuels in other Central European markets,” says Tomasz Wiatrak, CEO of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, which manages expansions to Slovakia and Hungary. He adds: “We will be among four largest players in Slovakia and we want to continue expanding and become number two. We want to continue growing in Hungary, too.”
With the latest acquisitions, ORLEN filling stations will be present in six European countries – Poland, Germany, Czechia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Hungary. The expansion to the Slovak and Hungarian markets means a crucial shift in ORLEN Group’s retail network development. ORLEN wants to operate three and a half thousand filling stations under the ORLEN brand by 2030. The share of foreign sites in the entire sales network is set to grow from 37 per cent to 45 per cent.
ORLEN Benzina is part of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, which belongs to the multinational ORLEN Group and operates the largest network of filling stations in the Czech Republic. In addition to EFECTA fuels with a purifying effect, ORLEN Benzina offers top-quality VERVA fuels and a wide range of refreshments within the STOP CAFE concept. ORLEN Benzina also issues its EASY and BUSINESS fuel cards and offers customers two mobile applications – the ORLEN Benzina loyalty app and the car care application, Mycí digi linka. In total, ORLEN Benzina operates 430 filling stations in the Czech Republic and has a market share of 23 per cent. Consumer confidence was confirmed by the fact that ORLEN Benzina was awarded the title of the Most Trusted Brand in the Czech Republic for the fifth time in a row. In 2019, it entered Slovakia. ORLEN Benzina now has 49 stations in its network in Slovakia and is one of the fastest-growing chains in the Slovak market.