Future
Store: The Neighborhood Market
October 29, 2014, 04:20 pm By Linda
Lisanti, Convenience Store News
Rendering created by api(+)
TAMPA, Fla. — In the future, convenience stores will evolve into
savvy neighborhood markets that listen to their customers whose voices say:
give me local flavor; embrace my multichannel retail demand; create an
experience that offers tantalizing variety; give me healthy, fresh meals on the
go — and make all of this easy and convenient.
In November, Convenience Store News will
present a special edition of the magazine centered on the question: What will
the "convenience store" look like a decade or more from now? The
c-store industry's leading media brand is partnering with some of the top
thought leaders and design firms in the nation to give readers a preview at how
the convenience store will evolve over the next several years and how it will
serve a changing customer base.
Just like today where we see many different types of c-store
models in action, the future will be composed of different types of c-stores,
each focused on different aspects of the convenience experience and on
different customer archetypes. C-stores of the future will likely incorporate
aspects of all four of these basic types: The Convenience Restaurant; The Refueling & Refreshing Center; The
Neighborhood Market; and The Forecourt of the Future.
Here, we provide a sneak peek of The
Neighborhood Market. For this future store type, CSNews called on Tampa-based design firm api(+) to
present its vision.
Tom Henken, vice president and director of design for api(+),
said small-format shops of the future will highlight sensory experiences to
engage shoppers through tasting, smelling, touching and seeing. Increased
competition — the ability for consumers of the future to eat virtually almost
anywhere — will dictate that c-stores put forward an experience.
"Food should be all about enjoyment," he explained.
api(+) envisions the Neighborhood Market concept consisting of,
among other things:
·
Smart technologies, eliminating the need for a checkout line.
·
Café-like environments.
·
Areas that cater to chef-driven cuisine in competition with
fast-casual dining.
·
Interactive programs that sell products in all their forms —
raw, prepared and packaged.
No comments:
Post a Comment