The international ORLEN Group has entered the final stage of rebranding its network of filling stations in the Czech Republic. Since 2019, it has been called ORLEN Benzina and, with 436 outlets, is the largest seller of vehicle fuels in the local market. Currently, the ORLEN logo is dominating about 50 of them. “By the end of the year, approximately 370 filling stations will be sporting the eagle logo. The entire network’s rebranding should be completed at the turn of 2024 and 2025,” explains Zbigniew Leszczyński, a member of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s board of directors responsible for retail activities. He adds: “Rebranding on the Czech market is part of the international unification of the ORLEN network that includes over 3,000 filling stations in six countries.”
Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, and Slovakia are the countries where the international ORLEN Group runs its filling stations. Following its strategy, it has been gradually unifying its brand in all these markets. In the Czech Republic, the unification began in 2019 when the first filling stations at which the ORLEN brand is dominant started appearing on the Czech market. This currently gradual process will significantly accelerate in Czechia this summer and in the second half of the year.
„Building a multi-energy concern allows us to expand dynamically internationally and lead the energy transition throughout the region. We can make further investments thanks to the effective use of synergies within a single company, which was created after the merger with LOTOS Group and PGNiG. We already have the largest network of fuel stations in Central Europe - after finalizing the purchase of a station in Austria, as much as 44% of retail will be facilities located outside Poland. We are consistently unifying the brand in international markets so that ORLEN is associated with a wide range of top quality services. This is not only unlocking marketing and operational synergies, but also preparing for potential expansion into new areas. The Czech Republic, where we are also a leader in the development of alternative fuels, is a perfect example of how we want to position the ORLEN brand," says Daniel Obajtek, a CEO and President of the Management Board of ORLEN.
“We can see different positioning of the ORLEN brand on individual markets. For instance, in Slovakia and Hungary, where we have not been present long, it made sense to rebrand the entire network quickly in terms of business and marketing. On the other hand, in the Czech Republic, we took gradual steps with regard to the history and size of the local network. However, the time to accelerate and complete the entire process has come. The Czech market is ready for this change, and the ORLEN brand is sufficiently known to the Czech public and accepted by customers,” says Zbigniew Leszczyński.
In the second half of this year, ORLEN plans to rename about 300 stations. Thus, 370 out of 436 local outlets are expected to have the ORLEN logo by the end of this year. The ongoing rebranding will also entail changes in marketing communication. “Starting from the New Year, when almost 90% of sites in our network will have an ORLEN logo, we will focus on communication support of only this brand,” adds Zbigniew Leszczyński.
At its filling stations in the Czech Republic, ORLEN offers first-class Efecta vehicle fuels with a cleaning effect on the engine system and premium Verva fuels that increase the engine performance along with the cleaning effect. The offer includes a broad portfolio of supplementary items, services, and refreshments under the Stop Café brand. ORLEN issues its own EASY and BUSINESS fuel cards and offers two mobile applications to its customers – the ORLEN Benzina loyalty application and the Mycí digi linka vehicle-care application. “Our strategy is to offer high-quality products and services. Customers appreciate our brand as modern, innovative, and having a broad, quality and affordable offer,” says Zbigniew Leszczyński, and concludes: “We are also preparing for the future. Among our competitors in the Czech market, we have the broadest offer of alternative fuels and energy that we keep developing. We already have 246 electric charging points at 61 outlets and are also building a hydrogen infrastructure. The first two hydrogen stations are already available in Prague-Barrandov and Litvínov.”
ORLEN Benzina is part of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, which belongs to the multinational ORLEN Group and operates the largest network of fuels stations in the Czech Republic. In addition to EFECTA fuels with a purifying effect, ORLEN Benzina offers top-quality VERVA fuels and a wide range of refreshments within the STOP CAFE concept. ORLEN Benzina also issues its EASY and BUSINESS fuel cards and offers customers two mobile applications – the ORLEN Benzina loyalty app and the car care application, Mycí digi linka. ORLEN Benzina also provides power for alternative drives (LPG and CNG) and electricity. It also operates two self-service hydrogen filling stations in Prague and Litvínov. In total, ORLEN Benzina operates 436 fuel stations in the Czech Republic and has a market share of 23 per cent. Consumer confidence was confirmed by the fact that ORLEN Benzina was awarded the title of the Most Trusted Brand in the Czech Republic for the fifth time in a row and four times the Merchant of the Year.