Evolution of fuel distribution: the case of the Auchan plant at Bussolengo (VR)

4 INTRODUCTION The market of petroleum products, and in particular the gasoline for car-traction one, object of this specific analysis, it’s one of the most interesting, from different points of view. First, products for car-traction have a great importance, both as goods of intermediate consumption (in transport sector), and as goods for final consumption by families: if the gasoline price affects, in fact, for 2.6% on the ISTAT index for families of workers and employees 1 . If, then, to the direct effect we add the indirect effect, that is the variation of the prices at consumption of the other goods and services that use gasoline at an intermediate level, the weight of these products on the composition of the basket of Italian families consumption, becomes even bigger. The market of petroleum products, in general, feels the effects of the international political situation, of the tensions present above all in the Middle East and in Latin America, from which comes the major part of crude, of the exchange Euro-Dollar, … all factors that imply considerable fluctuations of prices of raw material and that transfer inevitably to the consumer. This is an interesting sector from the point of view of this structure: for what concerns the Italian reality, it’s characterized by an asymmetric oligopoly, with just eight oil companies that share among them the 80% of the market share, and so, it’s interesting from the point of view of guarantee of competition. We will see, in facts, the numerous surveys to know, the investigations and the measures actuated by the Guaranteeing Authority for Competition and Market towards oil companies, suspected to exchange among them information and suspected to actuate policies of concerted prices, with the aim to limit and obstacle the free competition. Worth of attention is also the normative aspect because, during the years, has increased the number of public operators that have the power to issue laws and regulations about the subject (not only the State but also Regions and Local Authorities), and so has increased the risk of non- homogeneity of normative and confusion about it; moreover, it has been necessary a sector regulation more and more pervasive, ought to many needs and objectives often contrasting, of which the lawmaker has had to consider, about economic policy, environment, security, occupation, about the need to supply a public service and protect disadvantaged areas, … we will analyze the normative basis of the sector and their evolution form 1928 to 2001, up to the actuation of federalism, that has given a notable legislative power to the Regions. Being this last a recent measure, we will see if, and how, the Regions are adjusting themselves and which will be the likely consequences of their decision about rationalization of plants, about supplying of disadvantaged areas, about promotion to the use of new gasoline … This is a very interesting market from the point of view of network relationship, in particular among the different oil companies (about prevailing position of Agip company in refining sector and in primary market, repeatedly signaled by the Antitrust, and about the practice of product exchanges) and among them the managers of service stations. We will analyze, in a special way, the system of supplies, of licensing, the contracts, and we will try to understand how they have changed during the years, what is the actual situation, if there are conflicting or collaborative relationships and what are the evolving perspectives, even under the light of an always bigger power of the respective category associations. An important theme is given by the possibilities, for stations managers, to obtain further fonts of earning by selling non-gasoline products. They are products belonging to categories that are apart of the typical activity of a gasoline distributor and the selling of which is turned to diversify the manager’s earnings and to increase the medium – supplied of service stations. Because, now, with the rationalization is privileged the opening of systems with a notable total earning and an volume of supplied gasoline, collateral activities are taking on a strategic value always bigger. 1 Istat: Italian Institute for Statistics. Basis: 1995, font: Guaranteeing Authority for Competition and Market (GACM), Survey to know about prices of gasoline for car-traction.