David Bunch, the new global executive vice president Shell Mobility & Convenience, has worked around mobility and convenience for 20 years, running businesses in North America, Europe and Asia. But it’s his new role that he thinks has the most possibilities.
Shell is No. 45 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count.
“Since taking on this role, it has struck me just how much more growth potential the convenience retail branch of our business has in every region,” Bunch said. “Whilst there are regional variations, the shift towards urbanization, convenience shopping, seamlessly integrated digital experiences and more recently, the growing need for convenient and rapid electric vehicle charging, present huge opportunities.”
With a global footprint across 80 markets with a network of 47,000 retail fuel and convenience sites, serving 33 million customers every day, Bunch said Shell has a strong heritage in mobility and convenience, and he has a clear ambition of ensuring the company becomes the most preferred and valuable mobility and convenience brand within Shell’s core markets.
“We’re already one of the most preferred convenience retail brands, the largest global producer and trader of advanced biofuels and a leader in electric vehicle charging capability, so I don’t think there is anyone better placed to capture the growth potential that the emerging convenience trends provide,” he said.
What Bunch is most excited to accomplish is growing the company’s strategic partnerships.
“We operate in an ecosystem of partnerships, from world-leading global convenience brands to a 75-year technical partnership with Ferrari supporting their F1 team with fuel and lubricant technical innovation,” he said. “We need to grow together, and I’m convinced its only by collaborating with the very best partners that we will meet out ambitions.”
Heading into 2025, Bunch said there will continue to be examples of channel blurring in the industry, where retailers are offering better coffee, hot food and grocery options. Globally, Shell has a great track record in foodservice, he said.
“We are already selling around half a billion cups of coffee in our global network and have more than 2,500 Shell Cafés in 23 of our direct markets,” he said.
Following the acquisition of the Timewise network in Texas, Bunch said the company has recently launched its first food store with a barista offer for the United States.
“To grow our customer reach, we are also investing in our digital, loyalty and personalization capabilities,” he said. “We are tapping into a wide range of technologies including ordering ahead, delivery and ordering through screen and are constantly working on the range of food and coffee we offer, catering to the preferences of the local consumer.”
Bunch also sees the energy transition and the transition to electric vehicles as a significant opportunity for convenience retail and foodservice.
“Our recent driver survey confirmed that EV drivers are willing to drive further to where they can get a better experience – faster charging but also the ability to get a great cup of coffee, a quick meal or wait in a comfortable drivers’ lounge,” he said.
With more customers switching to EVs, Bunch said this potentially means lower fuel sales for some players in the industry.
“But with continued focus on quality fuels, the addition of EV charging in key locations and even better convenience retail offers, we think we have a compelling reason for drivers to choose Shell stations more often,” he said.
In the U.S., Shell serves about 8 million customers per day with a brand presence at approximately 12,000 fueling stations across 49 states. It owns and operates nearly 200 convenience retail sites. Globally, London-based Shell serves around 33 million customers per day at its mobility sites, who visit for quality fuels, EV charging and convenience and non-fuel products and services.
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