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Petrol Stations in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Chris Merklein Chris Merklein Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: October 2024 WZ G47.30DE

Revenue

€20.1bn

2024

€20.1bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€XXX.Xm

Employees

74,842

Businesses

5,450

Wages

€X.Xbn

Petrol Stations in Germany industry analysis

The German petrol station industry is dominated by the "big five" Aral, Shell, Jet, Couche-Tard and Esso, although many petrol stations do not sell their fuels independently but act on behalf of the oil companies and only receive small commissions. An increasing proportion of the industry's turnover and profits are being generated by ancillary businesses such as shops and services, as the sale of fuels alone is less profitable. The development of the global market price for crude oil and events such as the coronavirus crisis or the Ukraine crisis are having a significant impact on the industry. Fuel sales fell during the lockdowns, but sales in shops increased. The Ukraine crisis threatened oil supplies and caused crude oil prices to rise, which had a negative impact on visits to petrol stations and the sale of products in shops, although some independent petrol stations were briefly able to push through higher prices.In the current year, industry turnover is expected to fall by 8.1% to 20.1 billion euros. This results in an average annual increase in turnover of 2.8% for the entire period from 2019 to 2024. Increasing environmental awareness in society poses a challenge for the industry. More and more people are foregoing non-essential car journeys for environmental and climate protection reasons, and political players, particularly at federal level, are increasingly taking measures to directly or indirectly reduce fuel consumption. One example of this is the expansion of the promotion of more environmentally friendly modes of transport.According to IBISWorld forecasts, industry turnover will fall by an average of 2.6% per year over the next five years and will then total 17.5 billion euros. IBISWorld assumes that the number of companies in the sector will fall due to the expected closure of unprofitable locations. Towards the end of the next five-year period, the threat to the petrol station business from electric vehicles is likely to increase significantly. These can also be charged at locations other than petrol stations.

Trends and Insights

  • Business with additional revenue is the real profit driver in the industry. By contrast, it is becoming increasingly difficult to operate profitably with fuel sales alone.
  • The operation of car washes is part of the business concept at many petrol stations. However, maintaining the facilities is only worthwhile if enough customers make regular use of this service.
  • The Central region has the most petrol stations compared to the other regions. The reason for this is the fact that the Central region is the most populous region in Germany and has a correspondingly large number of cars and trucks on the roads.
  • The so-called Big Five dominate the market. They are part of the major mineral oil groups or co-operate closely with them. This means they are ideally vertically integrated, which gives them a competitive advantage over independent petrol stations.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 2.8 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €20.1bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

TotalEnergies has exited the petrol station business in order to focus on promising energy markets

  • In May 2023, the French group TotalEnergies sold its petrol stations in Germany to the Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard. The deal, worth €3.4 billion, was finalised in December 2023.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Petrol Stations in Germany
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Biggest companies in the Petrol Stations in Germany

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue (€m)
2024
Orlen Deutschland GmbH
3,376.0
BP Europa SE
1,892.0
Shell Deutschland GmbH
1,669.0

To view the market share and analysis for all 6 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Petrol Stations in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Fuels, Other products and services. Fuels is the largest segment of the Petrol Stations in Germany.

Trends and Insights

There are various distribution models for fuels in the industry

  • Fuels primarily include petrol and diesel.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The core activity of the industry is the sale of motor fuels to private and business customers. Additional services offered by petrol stations, such as car repairs or sales in petrol station shops, also fall under the industry definition. The income generated in this way is added in full to the industry turnover, while only the commissions are included in fuel sales for petrol stations that are contractually closely tied to mineral oil companies.

What's included in this industry?

Fuelsservices

Companies

Orlen Deutschland GmbHBP Europa SEShell Deutschland GmbH

Purchase this report to view all 6 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

BIG FIVEA-SOCIETYB-SOCIETYFREE PETROL STATIONSYARD OR COMPANY PETROL STATION

Industry Code

WZ 2008

WZ 47.30 - Petrol Stations in Germany

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Business with additional revenue is the real profit driver in the industry. By contrast, it is becoming increasingly difficult to operate profitably with fuel sales alone.

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The operation of car washes is part of the business concept at many petrol stations. However, maintaining the facilities is only worthwhile if enough customers make regular u...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The Central region has the most petrol stations compared to the other regions. The reason for this is the fact that the Central region is the most populous region in Germany ...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

The so-called Big Five dominate the market. They are part of the major mineral oil groups or co-operate closely with them. This means they are ideally vertically integrated, ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

The Big Five are pursuing the strategy of shifting their focus to generating additional income. Branches that are not suitable for this are either transferred internally to f...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Orlen Deutschland GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of BP Europa SE's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Shell Deutschland GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 3 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Orlen Deutschland GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for BP Europa SE, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Shell Deutschland GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 3 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

The sales staff at petrol stations must comply with the Youth Protection Act. It prohibits the sale of alcohol to children and young people under the age of 14, while case-sp...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

The minimum wage increase in 2022 has led to a significant rise in personnel costs. However, in many cases, the owners themselves work as managers or in customer service with...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Petrol Stations industry in Germany in 2024?

The market size of the Petrol Stations industry in Germany is €20.1bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Petrol Stations in Germany industry in 2024?

There are 5,450 businesses in the Petrol Stations industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Petrol Stations industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Petrol Stations industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 2.8 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Petrol Stations industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Petrol Stations industry in Germany is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Petrol Stations market in Germany?

The biggest companies operating in the Petrol Stations market in Germany are Orlen Deutschland GmbH, BP Europa SE and Shell Deutschland GmbH

What does the Petrol Stations in Germany include?

Fuels and services are part of the Petrol Stations industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Petrol Stations in Germany?

The company holding the most market share in Germany is Orlen Deutschland GmbH.

How competitive is the Petrol Stations industry in Germany?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Petrol Stations industry in Germany.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

View all industries in Germany

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Germany include:

  • German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
  • European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
  • United Nations Comtrade

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.