"Yes, Q8 stations must compete with foodservice and convenience retail"

As electric vehicles gain ground, energy giant Q8 is rethinking its model by strategically betting on a different kind of recharge: food consumption. Interview.

Lotte Schouwenaars, Strategic Shop Manager Benelux. © Q8

The service station is undergoing a transformation. With the rise of electric vehicles, the real challenge for operators is shifting to non-fuel retail. In this transition, foodservice is emerging as a strategic lever, according to analyses by Gondola Foodservice, but it's a powerful engine still running at low speed, as it remains underutilized.

With nearly 500 stations in Belgium, Q8 is more than aware of this. The brand busy transforming its network into a constellation of mobility hubs. The subsidiary of the Kuwaiti giant no longer defines itself as a simple fuel retailer, especially given the rollout of rapid charging stations. But the shift is not only electric. The commercial offering is increasingly focused on food consumption, as explained by Lotte Schouwenaars, Strategic Shop Manager Benelux at Q8. An Interview.

Gondola Foodservice : Consumers increasingly value variety, pricing, and healthiness in food and drinks. Do you see the food experience as critical for service stations’ long-term success?

Lotte Schouwenaars : Food has become central to the future of service stations. Consumer needs are evolving rapidly: variety, value-for-money and healthier options are now key drivers of choice. Globally, we see the shift from energy stations towards multi-service hubs where foodservice plays the starring role.

At Q8, we are well underway in this journey. Together with our partners Panos, Delhaize, and through a pilot with Noahs, we are shaping an all-day consumption model – from breakfast, lunch, coffee to snacking and evening meals.

What makes this ambition different is our omnichannel approach: combining in-store hospitality with smart-store efficiency and online visibility. This allows us to be relevant for multiple target groups, across all dayparts. It’s an ambitious transformation, and we are building it step by step together with our partners.

Would you say you're now competing not only with other fuel retailers, but also with fast-food chains and other convenience players?

Yes, our competition today is much broader. Depending on the occasion, the customer might just as easily choose a coffee shop, bakery, a QSR, a supermarket or a delivery platform. That reality forces us to think beyond fuel and EV and truly act as a foodservice and convenience player.

What makes us confident is the breadth of our ecosystem: fuel, EV, shop, foodservice and other services combined in one seamless stop. This is something most fast-food or retail players cannot replicate. Our ambition is to deliver speed and convenience, paired with a broad offer – food for now and food for later.

By combining strong brand partnerships with innovative pilots such as Noahs, we are on the move in this transformation, investing our energy in building formats that can compete with – and complement – traditional foodservice players.

How do you manage the brand and product portfolio fragmentation from integrating multiple F&B offerings ?

With multiple brands under one roof, fragmentation could be a risk. That’s why we approach this as a curated ecosystem. Our foundation is built around strong, well-known partners such as Delhaize Shop & Go and Panos, which provide trust and recognition for our customers. On top of that, we are piloting Noahs to expand into evening moments, complementary categories and new online-driven audiences.

The key is integration rather than fragmentation: ensuring a consistent in-store flow, unified branding, and a digital layer that guides the customer seamlessly. We also recognize that online and in-store can serve different needs and audiences, and we are learning how to balance those dynamics without diluting the customer experience. In this way, our portfolio becomes not a risk, but a strength that broadens our relevance across dayparts and channels.

Considering the weaker F&B performance in local stations compared to highway ones, how will you specifically address this gap to increase customer engagement and spending?

Highway and local stations serve very different needs. Highway locations are impulse-driven and travel-related: people are on the move, short on time, and looking for an immediate energy boost – coffee, sandwiches, or treats. The focus here is speed, convenience and accessibility.

Local stations, by contrast, play a role in daily routines. They cater to recurring needs: morning coffee, a quick lunch nearby, a dinner solution to take home, or top-up groceries – in short, food for now and later. The opportunity lies in becoming part of customers’ everyday lives, not just their travel moments.

To close the performance gap, our focus is on digital tools like kiosks and rider delivery to increase speed, improve staff efficiency, and drive higher basket value.

Still all about digitalization?

Online integration to extend reach beyond physical visits – loyalty and home delivery make local stations visible and relevant even when customers are not on site.

We are actively moving forward in this journey, tailoring our formula to the context of each site. The ambition is clear: strengthen local stations by embedding them in customers’ daily lives, supported by digitalization and omni-channel services.

Beyond the slogan of becoming a "convenience destination", what tangible shifts will the customer actually experience in filling stations ?

Customers will see real, tangible changes: an all-day offering, activated and promoted across relevant moments, a loyalty program rooted in foodservice, with personalization and targeted value integrated & beyond fuel & EV, impulse done right, from Panos bakery treats to on-the-go coffee moments.

But also operational excellence as the standard: clean restrooms, comfortable seating, safe parking, and a relevant all-day offering. A multi-service, tech-enabled journey, where fueling, EV charging, foodservice and convenience shopping are integrated in one seamless stop.

And what would success look like in your eyes ?

For us, success means Q8 is no longer just a place to refuel, but the preferred destination for food and convenience on the move. We are well on our way in this transformation with our teams and partners, and success will be when customers truly feel & recognize the progress of Q8 as their daily hub for energy, foodservice and convenience.