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Page 20 April 2026 AD SALES 01204 478812 BUSINESS TO ADVERTISE CALL 01204 478812 £ A BOLTON based lubri- cant brand has seen sales increase following invest- ment from a leading Lanca- shire businessman. Zuber Issa, who created the EG On The Move petrol station group, invested in Duckhams Oils last year. Since then the brand, which can trace its history back to 1899, has been rolled out on EG On The Move forecourts and is proving a big hit with consumers. Duckhams has revealed its prod- ucts are outselling those of rival brands Castrol and Comma, in both volume and value terms. David McLean, Duckhams chief executive, said: “Looking at engine oil unit sales, Duckhams is selling double-digit percentage more than Comma did, and over two and a half times as much as Castrol, even when the brands were in most EG On The Move stores. “At a direct product comparison level, Duckhams volume and value are both higher than competitor brands, which means Duckhams is driving category volume sales and value sales simultaneously, whilst also driving up average basket spend.” Duckhams has rolled out point- of-sale materials in almost all fixtures across the EG On The Move estate, helping shoppers locate the engine oil fixture and select the product that is right for their vehicle. The brand has also introduced an easy-to-use QR code scanning solution that links to its website oil checker, meaning shoppers can scan QR codes on point-of-sale materials or the bottles them- selves, enter their vehicle regis- tration, and choose the correct product for purchase. David McLean added: “Duck- hams has both a strong racing heritage and a fond place in the hearts of families who have used it for generations. “The brand colours are extremely well recognised, and it has excellent stand-out. We still have the Duckhams Q classic product range for older generation Oil firm’s slick move Forecourt move: Duckhams motor oils vehicles, complemented by extremely strong coverage of mod- ern vehicles with our QXR, QS and Hypergrade ranges. “We also have a great deal of heritage in motorcycles and scoot- ers, and we have ranges to cover these too. Breadth of offer, allied with a heritage that drivers trust, is the core strength for Duckhams, which is the original British motor oil since 1899.” The company’s passenger and commercial vehicle lubricants are also available across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. BOWKER Motor Group’s marketing team has received national recognition fromBMW and Porsche after winning awards for marketing activity across both brand networks. The awards were presented as part of separate national retailer programmes operated by BMW UK and Porsche Cars GB. Bowker’s marketing department was recognised with the BMW Motors team shows drive Winning team: (L-R) Amy Lancaster-Hall, marketing manager; Freya Hesketh, marketing and social media executive; Chloe Robinson, graphic designer and Ellie Shaw, social media expert Marketing Award at the 2025 BMW UK Retailer of the Year event and the Porsche Marketing Innovation Award within the Por- sche Centre network. The group operates Porsche Centres in Bolton and Preston and BMW and MINI centres in Preston and Blackburn. Amy Lancaster-Hall, bowker motor group marketing manager, said: “Winning awards from both BMW and Porsche in the same period feels incredible for the whole team. “Everyone has put in a huge amount of work behind the scenes, and it’s amazing to see that effort recognised. We’re lucky to work with great colleagues across the business who support the cam- paigns we deliver.” Paul Bowker, chief executive of Bowker Motor Group, said: “I’m extremely proud of Amy and the whole marketing team. “They work closely with our sales and aftersales colleagues every day, and this shows how much can be achieved when every- one pulls together. “Seeing Bowker recognised by both BMW and Porsche makes it a really special moment for the business.” THE government has confirmed the progress of a number of measures designed to tackle late payments. They include a significant expan- sion of powers for the Small Busi- ness Commissioner. The new powers will allow the commissioner to levy financial pen- alties against large businesses who are persistent late payers. The penalties could amount to a Tackling the late payment scourge Welcome move: Abdul Go!ar, ACCA UK director, says that the measures are practical to close each day with business owners spending an average of 86 hours chasing debt. Emma Jones, Small Business Commissioner, said: “I am on a mission to make life easier for small firms by getting money mov- ing faster through the economy by tackling late payments. The measures the government has announced will strengthen the role of my office in taking on the worst payers alongside ensuring small businesses have a stronger voice on payment terms and late payment interest.” Abdul Goffar, director of accountancy organisation ACCA UK, said: “We urged the govern- ment to be practical – bringing forward pragmatic, transparent solutions which businesses can understand and work with. And we’re glad they’ve listened.” percentage of a business’ turnover which could equate to many mil- lions for some of the UK current poor payers. Other powers include the ability to settle late payment disputes out of court through a new adjudica- tion function. That move expands the commis- sioner’s existing ability to review enquiries and investigate formal complaints made by small busi- nesses regarding late and over- due payments. The new powers were announced as the government published its response to the late payment con- sultation launched last autumn. Other actions announced include a new 60-day cap on payment terms to be imposed on all large firms when paying smaller suppliers. There will also be mandatory interest on late payments, with a requirement for all commercial con- tracts to include statutory interest set at eight per cent above the Bank of England base rate. Research from the Department of Business and Trade and the Small Business Commissioner has shown that late payments cost the UK econ- omy almost £11billion per year. The issue causes 38 businesses