Ljubljana Ring Road enriched with two state-of-the-art Petrol points of sale
Petrol has officially opened the Barje North and Barje South points of sale on Ljubljana's southern ring road. This marked a special milestone in the energy company's almost 80-year history. The two points of sale were built within five months in compliance with modern, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly guidelines. They are a hub for a wide range of products and services, catering services, and conventional and alternative fuels, with pre-preparation for the LNG (liquefied natural gas) and hydrogen energies of the future.
In line with its vision, the Petrol Group aims to become an integrated partner in the energy transition with an excellent customer experience. And to ensure the right environment for a great customer experience at Petrol points of sale, a complete reconstruction of the points of sale at Barje started in early summer 2023. The works were carried out at the same time at both locations, with the points of sale closed for the duration. After five months of extensive reconstruction and construction works, the Barje North point of sale opened on 24 December 2023, followed this week by the Barje South point of sale on the other side of the Ljubljana Ring Road.
"The Barje North and Barje South points of sale reflect our commitment to modernity and innovation. They are a symbol of our ambition to become the leading provider of energy solutions in the region. Not only do they offer a great user experience, they are also an example of Petrol's vision to become an integrated partner in the energy transition. As examples of state-of-the-art points of sale in this part of Europe, these two facilities are a manifestation of our competitiveness and innovation. We are proud that these steps are not only keeping up with global trends, but actively contributing to them. The Barje points of sale are an example of what we want the entire Petrol network to look like in the future, with more than 300 points of sale in Slovenia and almost 300 more in the Southeast Europe region," said Sašo Berger, the president of the management board of Petrol at the opening of the points of sale.
Petrol has been part of the south ring road for more than 30 years. In 1990, the first Barje North and Barje South points of sale were built on this extremely busy road, and later underwent minor renovations. "We have now replaced these two outdated buildings with new buildings that will stand out positively in this part of Europe in terms of size, quality, difference, and diversity of products and services, and that will set new, higher standards in the retail sector. The two renewed points of sale are a symbol and confirmation of our mission to become the first choice for stopping on your journey. At the same time, they set the course for our future," said Jože Smolič, member of the management board.
The official opening was also an opportunity to promote social responsibility and to thank the community in which the two points of sale will operate. On this occasion, in line with the Petrol Group's values, financial support was provided to the Ljubljana Marshes Landscape Park for the restoration of the habitat of the Eurasian Blue Tit at the Ljubljana Marsh. This will make an important contribution to the conservation of biodiversity in the area.
The point of sale of the future
The points of sale along Ljubljana's south ring road boast almost 1000m2 of retail space where customers can choose from more than 1400 products and services. A team of 17 employees is tasked with customer satisfaction.
The design and construction were carried out with the future in mind. In the immediate vicinity of the charging park, there is space to accommodate new energy sources of the future - LNG and hydrogen - and space for high-performance battery storage.
Drivers of electric vehicles are provided with a special area. Under the canopy is a charging park with three ultra-fast charging stations. The energy required to power e-vehicles will come entirely from solar panels installed on the roof of the point of sale.
48 filling points with a total of 90 dispensing handles, where customers can top up with the Q Max range of fuels (with LPG and AdBlue also available), are located under the 1300m2 canopy. And as the first Petrol points of sale in Slovenia, CNG (compressed natural gas) refuelling is expected to be available from the end of January.
The parking area around the point of sale can accommodate more than 100 passenger cars and 40 trucks or buses.
The Barje North and Barje South points of sale are characterised by a unique catering offer where various providers mix harmoniously. Alongside Petrol's own Fresh brand, there are also Marche and McDonald's, the latter with the takeaway option. From the comfort of the car and without the need to enter the point of sale, customers can also pay for their fuel directly at the filling point using the “Na poti” application. Customers can also use the app to purchase merchandise. And with the redesign of the app, points of sale such as those at Barje will offer an improved “WOW” user experience.
The dining areas are located both inside and outside and provide more than 270 seats to ensure comfort and relaxation. The needs of the youngest visitors have also been considered, with children’s playgrounds for play and entertainment placed in the outdoor area.
Renovations of Petrol Group points of sale
It is not only the points of sale at Barje that have been completely renovated in the last year. In the past year, the Petrol Group completed a series of ten comprehensive renovations, and constructed one new building in Croatia. The Dragalić North point of sale has been completely rebuilt. The first customers visited it just days before the end of 2023 and the official opening ceremony is planned for 26 January.
