Network expansion ups Hungarian Mol's sales in Romania

Hungarian fuel distribution company Mol increased its retail sales volumes in Romania by 21% year-on-year in the third quarter and by 16% in the first nine months, according to a group report. The increase was mainly supported by the expansion of the company’s network of service stations after the takeover of the Agip units from Italian group Eni. Mol Romania’s retail sales volumes stood at 166 kilotons in the July-September period, up from 137 kilotons reported the year before. In the first nine months, the retail sales volumes went up to 433 kilotons, from 373 kilotons registered in the same period of 2014. In Romania, Mol expanded its network to some 200 gas stations after taking over 42 Agip service stations from Eni Romania. Moreover, the company announced that it planned to open 12 more gas stations in Romania this year. Eight of them are located on the new segments of the Sibiu-Nadlac highway. At a group level, Mol’s retail sales volumes increased by 10% in the first nine months, to 2,903 kilotons. The increasing fuel demand in the CEE region mainly supported the group’s growth. Mol entered the Romanian market in 2005 and is one of the top four fuel distributors in the market. Its main competitors are OMV Petrom, Rompetrol, and Lukoil. MOL completes rebranding of Agip gas stations in Romania Hungarian group Mol launches new gas station/café/supermarket concept in Romania Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com