Yukos to develop Polish gas station network through franchises

Janusz Szum, the head of the domestic division of Russian oil giant Yukos, has announced he is to prepare a business plan by the middle of this year that will lead to the further development of the company's network of Polish gas stations, a process the company hopes to begin by next year at the latest in order to pre-empt planned increases in fuel imports from Lithuania.
"In the first phase it would be most reasonable to sign franchising deals with the owners of private stations. They would receive our fuels, while their gas stations would be branded with our logo and we would also provide them with marketing support. We have already received numerous inquiries from gas station owners," Szum explained.