Micro Markets

Viva Energy plans unattended conversions at up to 30 Australian fuel stations

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October 9, 2026

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Australian fuel retailer Viva Energy plans to convert 25 to 30 Shell Reddy Express service stations to unattended operations, replacing staffed convenience stores with self-service technology, according to a report in the publication Drive.

The company is testing a format that could include small kiosks, vending machines and customer pickup services at locations where convenience-store sales are insufficient to support continued staffing. Viva Energy said the changes could reduce annual operating costs by approximately $10 million Australian ($6.5 million U.S.).

Viva Energy Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Gray told investors in August that the company was encouraged by customer response at three trial locations, which showed improvements in fuel sales and overall site performance. The conversions are part of a broader restructuring of the company's convenience retail operations. Reddy Express operates more than 650 locations across Australia, having replaced the Coles Express brand following Viva Energy's acquisition of the business in 2023.

The transition has generated criticism in some communities. A Shell Reddy Express location in Mount Gambier, South Australia, stopped offering staffed convenience-store services Sept. 29, prompting complaints from residents who preferred traditional service. Unattended fuel stations are already common in some rural Australian markets, and competing retailer Ampol operates dozens of U-GO self-service locations. Viva Energy's expansion illustrates how major fuel retailers are increasingly considering vending and other unattended technologies as alternatives to operating fully staffed convenience stores.