Self-Service at UAE Petrol Forecourts: Marketing in Unfamiliar Terrain?
International Journal of Business & Globalisation, Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 104-116, 2011
13 Pages Posted: 1 Jul 2011 Last revised: 18 Apr 2012
Date Written: March 15, 2011
Abstract
This paper presents initial findings of a preliminary examination of self-service at petrol stations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Informal discussions were held with 30 taxi drivers in four of the largest emirates in the UAE and a diary account was kept over a period three months. This fine-grained approach combines conversation, discourse and narrative analyses to conclude that self-service marketing at petrol forecourts was not yet a practical reality owing to a variety of cultural nuances in the country. However, there are indications that self-service can be better marketed in this sector, but would require further research into the underlying attitudes towards the concept and the development of marketing strategies towards changing these.
Keywords: consumer behaviour, marketing strategies, petrol forecourts, self-service, filling stations, garages, United Arab Emirates, diary accounts, diaries, conversations, discourse, narrative analyses
JEL Classification: M31, N45
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation