St1 completes rebranding of its retail network

The rebranding, which started in April, was finalised in Finland and Norway in November, following the completion in Sweden in August. St1 has previously operated both St1- and Shell-branded networks in Finland and Sweden, while in Norway all St1 stations were Shell-branded. St1 entered into a long-term license agreement to use the Shell brand for retail operations when it acquired the majority of Shell’s downstream businesses in Finland and Sweden in 2010, and in Norway in 2015. With the current license agreement period now expiring, St1 is ready to fully embrace its own brand.

Building a strong retail network

As part of the rebranding, St1 has been renewing and unifying its customer offerings across the Nordic retail network, aiming to further strengthen customer experience. The network, which welcomes 150 million customer visits yearly, has remained open and continuously served customers during the rebranding process.

The Nordic St1 network of marketplaces now offers a diverse range of services, including fuels, an increasing number of EV charging points, biogas filling points for heavy-duty transport, and car washes. Additionally, stand-alone convenience stores and restaurants cater to many needs of people on their way.

Alongside the rebranding, St1 has continued to expand its EV charging and biogas distribution networks. St1 now offers EV charging at 42 stations in Finland, ten of which have been opened this year. In total, EV charging is available at 170 St1 stations across the Nordic countries. The first marketplaces designed primarily for electric vehicle drivers have been opened in Ylöjärvi, Finland, and Oslo, Norway – offering 400 kW EV chargers, a car wash and a convenience store.

St1 has also strengthened the distribution network of liquefied biogas (LBG) for heavy-duty vehicles: by the end of this year, refueling will be possible at seven stations in Finland and at 13 stations across the Nordic region in total. The company’s goal is to establish a network of more than 50 LBG stations across the Nordics by the end of 2028.

“Customer feedback has truly warmed our hearts. We have received praise for maintaining the things that are important to our customers during the renewal. The stores and restaurants on the same marketplace still offer our customers their favourite products, served by the same professional and friendly staff but now in renewed and fresh-looking premises”, says Juha Vanninen, Head of Retail, St1 Finland. “The development of our St1 brand and Nordic network help us stay competitive in the market and appealing to our customers”, Vanninen continues.

Strong network supports St1’s energy transition

The One brand strategy and strong cross-Nordic network are crucial components in St1’s energy transition execution and building profitable business in the long-term.

“The primary target of our energy transition execution is to grow our low-emission energy portfolio. The unified cross-Nordic St1 network is a strong channel for us to introduce more and more low-emission energy products to our customers”, says Daniel Wandebäck, Head of Sales and Retail, St1 Nordic.

In addition to expanding its distribution of low-emission energy products, St1 also produces them. The company’s low-emission energy portfolio includes sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), biogas and renewable diesel (HVO) for road and marine transport. Earlier this year, St1 opened its first solar park in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Furthermore, St1 is advancing major future energy transition projects, such as Biorefinery Östrand, which aims to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) from forest industry by-products. The company is also focusing on wind power production development and investing in the energy transition at its oil refinery in Gothenburg, Sweden. In March, St1 announced a €13 million investment in the Swedish Novatron Fusion Group (NFG) to develop the commercialisation of fusion energy.

“The reality is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in the energy transition. We need multiple energy production pathways, and St1 is investing in those that we believe in the most. With our investment portfolio, we are looking to accelerate not only the energy transition but also to ensure the security of supply to our customers. To ensure a smooth transition, it is important to maintain the old while building the new”, Wandebäck adds.