Makeover time for city's solitary Z service station

The rebranded Z service station in Wanganui's Dublin St is having its shop refitted.

The layout will be changed and new food lines, including barista coffee, are being added, operator John Hurley said. The shop is due to re-open on August 9.

The changes are being funded by site owners Z Energy, and will happen to all Tier 1 Z service stations nationwide. In the meantime, customers are paying for their fuel at a temporary kiosk moved to the site.

Infratil Ltd and Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation bought New Zealand's Shell service station operations two years ago and renamed it Z Energy. They then asked Kiwis what they wanted from a service station.

One of the things people said they wanted was more service.

As a result, Z stations are laying on a staff member to help customers fill their tanks, wash windshields and check oil between 10am and 5pm. The job title for that person is "concierge" - the name given to the first person you would see in a hotel.

Wanganui's only Shell service station was rebranded Z in June, a process that started in New Zealand nine months ago.

Mr Hurley and wife Jacinta lease the Wanganui station in a franchise arrangement.

They are based in New Plymouth and lease and operate 11 other Z sites, from New Plymouth to Palmerston North.

Mr Hurley has the impression Wanganui's economy is thriving because petrol sales are up.

"Our volume has increased a bit - so you must be doing something down there," he said.