Shell announces $8.5 million move to take-over rivals

As part of a three-year plan to double the number of its filling stations in Poland,Shell Polska (SP) intends to open 17 new gas stations this year, investing $8.5 million. SP currently owns 116 stations, twelve of which opened last year. Expansion plans include not only a crash building program, but also an intensive campaign to take over sector rivals. SP sales director William Kozik detailed the growth strategy:”Our plans can’t be realized exclusively through the construction of new stations. That’s why we’re seeking opportunities to take over rival gas station chains. We’d like to do that as early as this year.” According to Witold Ozimski of Refleks brokerage house, companies like Shell, with their own products and access to the market, attempt to increase their sales as quickly as possible.”One scenario he envisions, for which there is a precedent, is a swap of stations with another large auto fuel company. On March 1 of last year, SP acquired 16 stations and two shops previously owned by Texaco, which received part of Shell’s stations in Great Britain. Ozimski considers Dexpol’s DEX chain an attractive target for SP’s next move. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1,3)