RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan State Oil has announced to extend non-fuel retail business services to its customers at PSO’s retail outlets nationwide.

On Thursday, during inaugural ceremony of fuel farm facility at New Islamabad International Airport, Managing Director PSO Sheikh Imranul Haque said, “The company has recently forayed into non-fuel retail sector by introducing shops, restaurants and branchless banking services at its retail outlets nationwide.”

The PSO’s modern convenience store offers ‘all in one’ retail services such as grab-and-go food and beverages, grocery items, and an ATM machine.

Customers may get their caffeine fix at the store’s Espresso, a leading coffee house in Pakistan, or grab a glass of juice from Bar-Asinga, an emerging juice brand.

The PSO’s decision to upgrade its non-fuel retail stores and make them more ‘customer centric’ is the state-owned company’s strategy to realize the huge potential of the country’s retail industry.

The managing director said that the increase focus of PSO on non-fuel sector will not only prove instrumental in strengthening the country’s retail sector but also provide useful services to customers under a single roof. “Customers will be able to shop, grab a lunch or undertake basic banking operations while their car is being fuelled,” he added.

He said that this is great convenience and will turn retail outlets to one stop solution for a range of customers’ needs and the provision of branchless banking services at retail outlets would prove instrumental in fostering financial inclusion across the country where the country lags behind its regional peers.

He further said that the company has introduced digital fuel cards to its customers to deliver them great deal of empowerment and the customer base using digital fuel cards is rapidly increasing and sets ground for further innovation in the field. “The company’s commitment with its customers is strengthening with time and it is marked by creation of shared value and mutual benefit,” he added.