The Fraser’s Budgens BP petrol / supermarket site on Blenheim Road in Marlborough’s Business Park will soon be changing hands.
Owners Fraser’s Retail are selling it to MFG – Motor Fuel Group – and it will close (as Fraser’s Budgens) on 29 July. Fraser’s are an independent family owned group and this site has been sold for strategic reasons. It will be closed for a short while before reopening under the new banner, with a Morrisons Daily replacing the Budgen store. Whether it will remain as a BP outlet – not yet announced.
For any ‘Platinum Card’ holders, who have been able to benefit from 2p per litre off the fuel, that will end – on this site – although the same discount will apply on the rest of the Fraser’s Retail network of filling stations.
Who are MFG? Owned (mostly) by an American Private Equity company – Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) – who also own the Morrisons chain of supermarkets.
What will this mean for us, the customers in Marlborough? Probably not a great deal other than maybe some slight difference in fuel price, but there are still Bridge Garage and Jet in Fyfield as alternatives and competitors on price. Morrisons were once one of the ‘Big four’ supermarket groups in the UK.
Since the sale to the US Private Equity Co they have lost market share and have been overtaken by both of the German ‘discounter’ groups – Aldi and Lidl. Morrisons are now sixth in market share. Since the takeover they have lost in the region of 1.5% market share. Doesn’t sound much but they only had 10% before so it is a significant decline. But probably have little impact on us here, apparently Subway will still be a part of the new store as well. Also Pret a Manger will be introduced soon as well.
