Simply the best: bp and M&S Food winning relationship continues

The two well-known British brands first came together in 2005 to transform the roadside shopping experience. And have since provided bp with a blueprint for its plans to redefine convenience the world over

4 min read | Feature| Why it matters

Valued at around £40 billion, the UK's convenience retail industry is one of the most advanced markets in the world. Trends shift quickly and competition is fierce - remaining connected to customers' wants and needs is key to survival.

bp and M&S Food have played a central role in the UK convenience landscape since 2005, when the two British brands agreed to open a network of M&S Food stores at bp forecourts.

In the early 2000s, British food shopping habits were changing rapidly. "You're talking about a time when customers' lives were getting busier and busier," says Alex Jensen, bp's senior vice president for mobility and convenience, Europe and Southern Africa.

The bp forecourt in London's Hammersmith today, where the first M&S Simply Food store in the relationship was opened in 2005

Back then, UK customers were among the first to switch from big weekly shops at out-of-town hypermarkets to a combination of online deliveries and local top-ups. While big-name supermarkets, such as Tesco and Sainsbury's, were busy building smaller, local networks, bp was growing its own coffee brand - Wild Bean Cafe - alongside a successful partnership with a smaller retailer.

bp and M&S Food spotted a unique opportunity - one that combined M&S's high-quality and innovative food with bp's expertise in 'on-the-go' convenience. "M&S were the pioneers in high-quality convenience 'food for later' and we had the customer on the go know-how," says Alex. "We struck gold with this partnership."