ORLEN has nearly doubled its retail network in Slovakia this year, with all 90 stations now operating under the ORLEN brand.
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Since the start of its operations in Slovakia in 2019, the ORLEN Group has emerged as one of the fastest expanding fuel networks in the market, currently holding the fourth position.
At the end of 2022, the company operated 50 stations in Slovakia, a figure that has grown to 90 this year, partly due to the acquisition of 37 Slovnaft-branded stations from MOL.
The rebranding process has now concluded, and all network stations in Slovakia already operate under the ORLEN brand.
Electric vehicle chargers are set to be installed at the stations in Slovakia. By the end of 2030, 40%of ORLEN’s stations in this country will be equipped with charging points.
Additionally, 20 ORLEN hydrogen refuelling stations are planned to be operational by this time.
In addition to fuel, ORLEN is expanding its non-fuel sales in Slovakia.
At present, 48 Stop.Cafe food service outlets are operating in the country, with successive facilities undergoing upgrades to the 2.0 standard, which includes a broader range of food and beverage options.
By the close of this year, eight locations will be modernised. New categories of snacks, to be marketed under the Stop.Cafe brand, are being added to the range of products sold at all outlets.
Notably, some of them will be produced in Poland.
As per the ORLEN Group Strategy to 2030, the retail network is projected to expand to 3,500 service stations, with 45% situated outside of Poland.
As at the end of the second quarter of 2023, ORLEN operated 3,157 stations, including 1,919 in Poland, and 1,238 in other markets, such as the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary.
In July, the company announced an agreement to acquire the Austrian fuel network Turmöl. Once finalised, this acquisition will increase the ORLEN station count by 266, extending the company’s retail fuel presence to seven European markets. ■