RD Royal Dutch Petroleum Company

Shell New York Gasoline Giveaway Drives Customer Traffic and Increases Volume at Participating Locations HOUSTON, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Shell Oil Products US and Motiva Enterprises LLC, marketers of the No. 1 selling gasoline brand in the United States, announced that the Shell New York Gasoline Giveaway successfully generated awareness of newly re-imaged Shell stations in New York and Connecticut and increased customer traffic for participating Shell-branded retailers and wholesalers. During the four-week promotion the combined volume of all participating locations increased by more than 1 million gallons compared to same-store sales for the same period in 2003. During the promotional period each site held customer appreciation events to heighten customer traffic and educate consumers about the giveaway. The events included radio remotes, special offers and product sampling in the convenience stores, games as well as giveaways ranging from Shell gift cards to T-shirts to beach balls. Additionally, sites were decorated with pennants, balloons and bunting. Point of purchase materials, including pole signs and pump toppers, were utilized to encourage repeat business. According to sales data, the volume uplift continued at participating sites with a total increase in volume of more than 2.6 million gallons from October 2004 through December 2004 as compared to same-store sales for the same time the previous year. Local operators were pleased with the increase in business. According to New York Shell station operator Sal Jamal, the promotion helped enhance the relationship between his store and his customer. "This promotion and the eye-catching colors of the new image helped draw people into the station," Jamal said. "I was glad to see Shell support the market with customer appreciation events and to see a positive response from customers on the fresh new look of my site." The giveaway, which included three grand prizes, gave entrants the chance to win a one-year supply of Shell gasoline. More than 4,000 people entered the sweepstakes, and the three grand-prize winners were selected at a grand finale event held in November at a Shell station in Elmont, New York. Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Company, is a leader in the refining, transportation and marketing of fuels, and has a network of nearly 6,600 branded gasoline stations in the Western United States. Shell Oil Company is a 50 percent owner of Motiva Enterprises LLC, along with Saudi Refining, Inc., which refines and markets branded products through more than 9,400 stations in the Eastern and Southern United States. Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (NYSE:RDNYSE:SC). For more information, please visit http://www.shell.com/ . DATASOURCE: Shell Oil Products US CONTACT: Anne Peebles, +1-713-241-1584, or Katie Floyd, +1-713-241-5225, both of Shell Oil Products US Web site: http://www.shellus.com/

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