ORLEN continues to expand the range of services at its filling stations. It has recently launched a pilot operation of two self-service services – a pizzamat and a laundrymat – at the ORLEN filling station in Průhonice, located on the D1 motorway from Prague to Brno. Both innovations complement the wide range of fuels, alternative fuels, electricity, and additional services, such as a car wash and Stop Cafe refreshments. For ORLEN, this is another innovation in the implementation of its strategy to expand the non-fuel segment and additional services at filling stations.
The Průhonice filling station is one of the key stations in the entire network of 443 ORLEN filling stations. Thanks to its location, size, truck rest area, and range of services, it is one of the most popular stations. "That is why it is also a suitable place for testing innovations," says Rostislav Moravec, director of the ORLEN filling station network in Czechia, adding: "In the fall, we installed a high-speed charging station for electric cars here, and now we are adding pizza and laundry vending machines. And judging by the first few weeks of operation, customers are interested in these new services."
With the launch of automated pizza and laundry vending machines, the ORLEN network is closing a year full of innovations, in which it confirmed its position as the market leader and fulfilled key strategic goals in the area of decarbonization and development of the non-fuel segment. "We have confirmed growth in the fuel segment, introduced the alternative fuel HVO100 Diesel at ten stations, and launched our first high-speed charging stations. We have expanded our offering in the non-fuel segment and also introduced the concept of a self-service filling station with an automated store. Customers can also find the Stop Cafe brand outside of filling stations. Pilot projects, such as Pizzamat and Prádlomat, are the next step in our strategy to increase customer comfort on the road," concludes Rostislav Moravec.
Pizzamat from 360pizza offers customers the option of fast food 24/7 without waiting for service. Pizzamat is operated by 360pizza, which is backed by well-known entrepreneur Petr Cichoň, founder of the Bageterie Boulevard and Crocodille brands. It is a self-service pizzeria concept where customers can choose their favorite pizza in a matter of minutes—one that the pizzeria has prepared to order, then cooled and placed in a vending machine. The result is perfectly fresh and ready at any time of the day or night. "We use our network of 360pizza pizzerias, where our pizza chefs prepare fresh pizzas from ingredients from the restaurant kitchen so that we can offer our customers at Pizzamat 360pizza uncompromising quality, speed, freshness, and taste, just like in our restaurants. Another huge advantage is the extreme time savings for the customer and 24/7 availability. It is gaining great popularity among electric car owners, who can effectively use the time to charge their cars," says Radek Vrba, project manager at 360pizza.
The laundromat is supplied by Bestseries, the Czech leader in self-service laundry kiosks. The facility is equipped with high-capacity washing machines with a capacity of 8 and 18 kg and a dryer with a capacity of 18 kg. A standard wash cycle takes approximately 30-40 minutes, and drying takes 15-30 minutes, so customers can have everything done in about an hour. "Our goal is to offer a practical service for people on the go – from professional drivers to families who want to use their break time efficiently. Thanks to high-capacity washing machines and a fast wash and dry cycle, customers can get everything done in one stop," says Jan Holý, co-founder of Bestseries.
Pizzamat and Prádlomat are pilot projects that ORLEN will evaluate in the context of other concepts. These innovations are part of a broader strategy to expand the non-fuel segment, and ORLEN is open to cooperation with retail partners across segments—from supermarkets to fast food outlets to technology companies—with the aim of providing customers with modern services and convenience on the go.
ORLEN – the international network of fuels, energy and refreshments
The ORLEN network of filling stations is a member of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group owned by the international ORLEN Group, which runs more than 3,500 fuel stations in seven Central European countries – Poland, Czechia, Germany, Lithuania, Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia. In Czechia, the ORLEN network comprises 443 stations with a 28.6% market share in the volume of fuels sold. The ORLEN network is a market leader in terms of both the number of sites and the volume of fuels sold. The popularity of the ORLEN brand with Czech consumers is reflected by the fact that the ORLEN network of filling stations has been awarded as the Most Trustworthy Brand in Czechia six times and as the Merchant of the Year three times.
At its stations, ORLEN offers premium Efecta fuel with a proven purifying effect and top-class Verva fuel that cares for the engine system and offers enhanced performance parameters. ORLEN sites also provide alternative fuels, including liquified petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), synthetic fuel HVO100, and battery- and hydrogen-driven e-mobility. ORLEN offers electricity at 294 charging points and operates hydrogen refuelling stations in Prague- Barrandov and Litvínov-Záluží.
The Stop Cafe concept is a significant part of the offering, being a crucial pillar in ORLEN brand’s convenience sales. In the Czech Republic, Stop Cafe is available at 363 out of 443 filling stations, i.e., at more than 80% of them. It is offered at nearly 2,500 sites within the entire international network. Stop Cafe offers a broad range of meals and food products – from popular hotdogs and coffee to more than 1,000 products, including packaged food, ready-to-serve meals, and specialities in traditional, vegetarian, and vegan versions. The offer keeps developing – the ORLEN competence centre in Prague is working on new product ranges focused on a healthy lifestyle, including breakfasts, bakery products, ready-to-serve meals, and private brand products that will react to the current trends and customer needs.
ORLEN also issues its own fuel cards, EASY and BUSINESS, and runs two mobile apps – the loyalty ORLEN app and a car care app, Mycí digi linka.
Contact details:
Lada Gadas, +420 705 839 909, email: lada.gadas@orlenunipetrol.cz