TOTAL may be celebrating the growth of its pan-European fuel card, but throughout the continent its market share of fuel sales has dropped sharply. According to MarketLine's new report 'Western European Fuel Stations', Total is one of many smaller oil companies to lose out to the growth of supermarket service station fuel sales in Europe.

Despite having just a 4.7% share of service station sites in Europe, supermarkets now have a 16.6% share of fuel sales, a 1.42% increase on the previous year.

The report states that the growth of the supermarket service station fuel sales is largely at the expense of the smaller oil companies and independents, whose share has dipped by more than 3% over the last year. Total's share of European fuel sales is down from 3.94% in 1996 to 3.3% in 1997. But despite this drop, Total's pan-European fuel card 'Eurotrafic' continues to grow, signing up about 10 new customers a month in the UK, and is now accepted in 13 European countries at more than 4,500 service stations.

This year sees new benefits offered by the card, including Channel Tunnel fare payment and breakdown recovery