design:retail - April/May 2016 - (Page 16)

designer picks 016 5 Trends in C-Store Design ANTHONY DEEN CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BRANDED ENVIRONMENTS CBX adeen@cbx.com [2] [1] C ONVENIENCE STORES are among the fastest evolving formats in retail. While the vestiges of the 1970s era can still be found across North America, fluctuations in the fuel market have emboldened the rest of the world to develop next-generation designs with a renewed emphasis on coffee and food. Rather than fading quietly into irrelevance, c-stores are now poised to take on mainstream QSRs and coffee shops as prime destinations. [4] 1. Channel Blurring From AXION's coffee-centric Spot! Café in Argentina to the fast casual-inspired Kum & Go Marketplace in Iowa, c-stores no longer are bound by old formats and product offers. Is something working in another channel? Adapt it and weave it in. Consumers no longer expect hard-and-fast divisions between c-stores, QSRs, coffee shops and drugstores. Photo courtesy of AXION 2. Outside-In In the fuel-based c-store context, what if consumers could use something like Apple Pay to order food on a touchscreen while filling up and have it delivered to their car? Zarco USA, for one, is already giving this a try. Expect more technology-assisted design changes, outside and in. Photo courtesy of SIRISTABLET.COM 3. Sit and Stay a While [3] [5] At many Sheetz stores in the Carolinas, people lounge on couches and sip coffee a la Starbucks-style "third place." Retailers may need larger stores and parking lots to accommodate this kind of offer, because excessive crowding is a visual cue suggesting slow checkout lines. However, even c-stores with less-ambitious seating areas can up the ante with better furniture and more considered environments. Photo courtesy of AXION 4. Inside-Out When you cover the windows from floor to ceiling with promotional posters, the store actually repels customers. Contemporary c-store designs offer unobstructed views through oversized windows. The idea is to look appealing both from the roadway and the threshold. Taking this "inside-out" approach to the next level is a developing trend. Everybody loves retail experiences that spill out onto the sidewalk. Photo courtesy of MOL 5. Food Is King As a customer driver, "cokes and smokes" is a thing of the past. To engage the modern consumer, c-stores are ramping up the authenticity of their food and beverage offers. At Fresh Corner's MOL stores in Eastern Europe, customers find spacious food counters with made-to-order sandwiches and other fresh fare. Many c-stores are bringing in food carts stocked with the kind of specialty cuisine typically found in urban food trucks. Authenticity is key, as elevated presentations of the same-old sausage roller won't do. Photo courtesy of MOL ANTHONY DEEN HAS WORKED IN BRANDED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. HIS PROJECTS RANGE FROM THE SITE FURNITURE IN CENTRAL PARK TO THE INTERIOR DESIGN OF JETBLUE'S TERMINAL 5 AT JFK AIRPORT. APRIL/MAY 2016 DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM GLOBALSHOP.ORG http://www.SIRISTABLET.COM http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM http://www.GLOBALSHOP.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - April/May 2016

design:retail - April/May 2016
Table of Contents
Editor’s Note
On Trend
On Trend
We Love This!
Designer Picks
Clicks & Mortar
Inspirations
Postcard
Mingle
Have You Heard?
Perspectives
Shopper Insights
Shopping with Paco
20th Annual Markopoulos Award
The Markopoulos Circle Past
Heritage
Oiselle
40 Under 40
GlobalShop Roundup
Products
Backstory

design:retail - April/May 2016