| 41 T T Richard Loader Gull opens in Woodend Gull NZ now has seven unmanned fuel stations, mostly in Christchurch, with the opening of its Woodend fuel station in August. Gull NZ: Woodend Petrol Station DEVELOPMENT i n d u s t r i a l ICR Studio have been part of the Gull project team for over 17 years, working collaboratively to design and consent new installations nationally. We’re proud to have been part of the Gull Woodend s t u d i o i n d u s t r i a l c o m m e r c i a l r e s i d e n t i a l a r c h i t e c t u r a l d e s i g n www.icr.co.nz 09 379 8647 info@icr.co.nz Perfectly located in the increasingly popular North Canterbury residential and retail Ravenswood development, and near the well-established township of Woodend, Gull NZ opened its Woodend fuel station in August this year. As part of Gull NZ’s South Island expansion plan for their unmanned fuel stations, the company now has seven South Island stations, predominately in the Christchurch region, with more planned and waiting in the wings. The Woodend station takes pride of place on the corner of State Highway 1 and Bob Robertson Drive, with easy access from the latter as well as Garlick Street. The spacious site includes large apron areas, and four individual fuel dispensers that provide eight filling locations. Each side of the dispenser provides three fuel products — 91, 95 and diesel. The diesel has a high-flow button to increase flow rate and to speed up delivery to improve the customer experience. Gull NZ’s Retail Development Manager, Karl Mischewski, says the company has been delighted with the customer response to the Woodend station. “Gull NZ pioneered unmanned fuel stations fifteen years ago in Hamilton, and that has become our predominant model. It’s a model that has allowed us to reduce establishment and operational costs, and to pass those savings on to our customers. It’s fuel without the faff. Many people love the convenience factor provided by unmanned stations.” Karl acknowledges that the simplicity of the payment system is critical to the unmanned model, and what many people do not realise is that any of the outdoor payment terminals can be used for any of the pumps on site, simply by entering the pump number and authorising payment. Electronic receipts can be provided via the terminal keypad, and this process can also sign customers up for notification of Gull’s promotional activities and discount fuel days. Karl also makes the point that while the stations are unmanned, they are by no means uncared for, and a Gull Ambassador visits each site on a daily basis to ensure everything is functioning correctly, and to ensure preventative maintenance is routinely carried out. “There’s also a lot of smart technology including CCTV cameras monitoring the sites 24/7 which feed back to base. In the event of any malfunction or issue, Gull is notified electronically almost immediately.” Gull launched in New Zealand in 1998 with the building of its state-of-the-art terminal in Mount Maunganui and was one of New Zealand’s first independent operators in the New Zealand fuel market. “The Gull brand is dedicated to providing unbeatable value without the fuss of loyalty cards, minimum spends or fuel limits and this drives our commitment to provide everyday fuel savings for all Kiwi motorists. Gull is independently credited with keeping the fuel market competitive and with providing savings to the Kiwi motorist through what the Automobile Association coined ‘The Gull Effect’ which is the response to a localised price drop trend across competitor sites following Gull’s introduction into a new geographic location.” Gull will be starting construction of another site in Blenheim Road, Christchurch in the new year, and has another site planned for south of Christchurch in due course. The Woodend station was constructed by Fuel Installations who work with leading fuel, energy and construction suppliers throughout New Zealand. Fuel Installations are one of Gull’s preferred contractors, bringing with them specialist expertise and experience in fuel station installation.
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