Gull opens first South Island site in Maheno

Dave Bodger General Manager Gull New Zealand says New Zealand motorists have been demanding the “Gull Effect” for many years.

Gull, New Zealand’s leading fuel retailer and well-known discounter, today proudly opened its first South Island site in Maheno on State Highway 1 South of Oamaru at 7:30 am today.

Dave Bodger General Manager Gull New Zealand says New Zealand motorists have been demanding the “Gull Effect” for many years.

“This has been a long journey to get a landmark site open in the South Island for us,” says Bodger. “It is a great day for Gull and the beginning of a new chain of sites with more competition and choice for the motorist in North Otago and those travelling on State Highway 1”.

“We decided we should open with a good price,” notes Bodger, “so we looked to our most recent opening at Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty and just mirrored the regular and diesel prices from there, those are currently our lowest prices in the country.”

“$1.917 for regular 91 and $1.297 for diesel will be our prices today for our opening special. We yesterday that was at least 18 cents per liter below Oamaru for 91 petrol and 29 cents per liter below Palmerston from what we had observed. “

At the opening Gull was happy to present a sponsorship grant to the Maheno Primary School who put on a barbecue breakfast for the early morning crowd. In addition, Gull has also announced a second donation to celebrate its South Island launch to North Otago Sustainable Land Management* (NOSLaM – https://www.noslam.nz).*

“We hope to be in a position to open Gull Gore later in October, doubling the southern Gull effect” notes Bodger.

“Following that and further north of these initial two sites we own one further site, with agreements to develop and lease in place or close to finalization for four others with several other good conversations happening for other outlets in other areas” concludes Bodger.

The “Gull Effect” is a term coined by the AA after observing how opposition sites lower their fuel prices to match when a Gull site opens in the town or neighborhood. With independent surveys noting South Island fuel prices of ten to twenty cents per liter above a North Island price for several years this will be a welcome effect for southern motorists.