Many businesses struggled in 2020 and several had to close their doors forever at some point. Petrol stations however were on the luckier side, being considered essential businesses and able to operate throughout the crisis.
Their review of the year still turned out less fruitful than is normally the case, Hoffmann conveyed. A combination of lockdowns and home office hours dampened road traffic and naturally also the sales of patrol stations. Turnover thus decreased by up to 40% in some cases. The summer months were slightly more profitable however.
The revenue from grocery shops installed in stations was mixed. Some reported more activities than before the pandemic, which may be due to the fact that people tried avoiding large supermarkets for safety reasons.
The pending introduction of a CO2 tax, which will come into effect on 1 January, is also likely to decrease the sales of Luxembourgish petrol stations. Germany will follow suit, while neighbouring countries Belgium and France have refrained from this legislative measure. Hoffmann welcomes the idea of the tax, but believes that it will not be an efficient step to reduce CO2 emissions: "The sale of petrol will only be relocated to other places, but not drop in any way."
