Gas Stations and Convenience Stores

Case Prompt

Our client is major global oil company that owns the whole value chain: oil rigs, refining, distribution, and retail. Our direct contact is the CEO of the global retail operation.

His operation consists of:

• Gas sold at the pumps
• The convenience stores at the gas station.

Profitability of the retail operation has declined, and the CEO would like us to help figure out why and to come up with a plan for the next five years.

Over the past fifteen years, the number of gas stations worldwide has declined by six percent.

What might be the causes of this?

BCG Case Study Overview

In this BCG case study, the client is a global oil company. You’ve been hired to identify why a recent profitability decline in the gas station and convenience stores segment of the business.

You can utilize the Profitability Framework to structure your approach to the case problem. However, don’t limit yourself to the basic frameworks only. The best case interview candidates get creative and use their knowledge of the frameworks to create a custom framework for the case.

There are no math diagrams in the case. With a qualitative difficulty score of 3/4, this is a BCG case study you would most likely see in a BCG second round.

Interview Tips: BCG

What does BCG value in its interview candidates? Excellent communication and structuring abilities.

In this BCG case study, focus on a couple of things:

• Remaining structured the entire way through the case (structure, math, brainstorming, conclusion)
• Maintaining clarity in your communication the best you can throughout the case

For out-loud case interview practice, book a session with an ex-MBB coach.