Piggly Wiggly Introduces Store Designed To Fit How Customers Intuitively Shop
Piggly Wiggly has opened a restructured grocery store model designed to fit the way people intuitively shop. The Piggly Wiggly at The Market Common in Myrtle Beach, SC, is a completely new prototype from the ground up.
“We are giving people the opportunity to shop the way they think, and have fun while doing it,” said David Schools, Piggly Wiggly CEO. “When you enter the Piggly Wiggly at The Market Common, you don't see check out lines. You don't go down five aisles to get ingredients for one meal. We’ve even added interior design elements including wood flooring, soft lighting and an open floor plan to make it feel more like home.”
Piggly Wiggly is using advanced refrigeration systems and other technologies to arrange food items based on how customers naturally look for them. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruit, for instance, will be in the same location, as will cereal and milk. One stop stations will offer complete meal solutions with items such as ground beef, hamburger buns, chips and beer grouped together for backyard grilling.
Additional store features include signature prepared meals available for curb-side pickup, an on-site sommelier, more than 1,500 wine varieties and a Dream Dinner franchise where as many as two months’ worth of oven-ready meals can be prepared. Nearly 1,600 natural or organic products are available.
Marco Retail Group worked with Piggly Wiggly to develop the store concept.
Gamer Doc Video Game Store To Deliver An Interactive Customer Experience
Gamer Doc(TM)is a new retail video game store that delivers an interactive customer experience. Upon entering Gamer Doc, consumers may find themselves in a burned-out building, as if they are in a first-person shooter battle zone, or on board a futuristic “Borg Spaceship," or in a carefree, cartoon-character atmosphere. Each design concept features special lighting, environmental, and sound effects to enhance the interactive experience.
Jim Belanger,President of Gamer Doc, said, “Gamer Doc will not be just a video game store, but an experience for people to get involved in.”
Meijer Supercenters To Offer PetFirst Insurance
Meijer customers now can add pet health-insurance coverage to their shopping carts. PetFirst Healthcare LLC recently launched a partnership to offer pet insurance through more than 100 Meijer supercenters throughout the Midwest.
PetFirst insurance covers routine care and medical procedures for dogs and cats, and is now offered through cards displayed on freestanding kiosks in the Meijer Pet Department.
“We’re very pleased to offer Pet Insurance to our Meijer customers,” said Greg Hill, pet department buyer for Meijer. “Our pet department has evolved through the years to provide our customers with the wide variety of offerings demanded by today's 'pet parents.' Adding PetFirst allows us to expand the one-stop shopping experience for our customers with pets.”
ECOnvenience Center Launches First Outlet
Good to Go, the nation's first ecologically friendly convenience store, car wash and alternate fuel station is set to open in Grand Chute, WI. Angie Nikolas, V.P., Good to Go, said, “We're very proud to bring 24-hour convenience that minimizes the impact we make on our environment.”
Built to specifications of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, Good To Go expects to become LEED-certified as the first fueling station, car wash and convenience retail shop in the U.S. The company plans to bring Good to Go to at least 150 more neighborhoods in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois by 2010.
The car wash will use a water cleaning and reclamation system that will save more than two million gallons of fresh water each year. The Good to Go ECOnvenience Center features a green roof with plants and sod that minimize absorption of sunlight that could heat the building and force overuse of its HVAC system. Good To Go also features an automated merchandising system. Utilizing a keypad and robotics, it gives customers secure, 24-hour access to a broad selection of products like milk, diapers, food and other sundries.
Inwindow Outdoor Launches Motion Detecting Storefront Display For Toyota's Scion tC
Inwindow Outdoor, New York City, has created an interactive window display for the Toyota Scion tC featuring motion detection technology that allows passer-bys to affect the content seen in the window. The display was created in partnership with Monster Media, a digital media company.
The Scion tC is a limited release vehicle designed to appeal to the Generation Y market with numerous standard features and easily added option features. The Inwindow display uses sophisticated motion detecting technology to underscore the elusive nature of these cars, which are floating in bubbles that quickly disperse when a person approaches the display.
SprintStudio Store Designed To Revolutionize Customer Experience
Sprint has unveiled its new, flagship retail store, SprintStudio, a contemporary-designed, interactive wireless store in Kansas City.
Paget Alves, President, Sales & Distribution, Sprint, said, “SprintStudio allows our customers to take time to explore the many compelling ways that Sprint's wireless services can be used-for running a business, running a home or just for entertainment.”
The store features a Digital Lounge, complete with one-of-kind, multi-touch tables that allow customers to interact with animated orbs of light that bubble up to the table's surface, and when touched bring to life the wealth of media content and services available on the Sprint network. Video screens wrap around the perimeter of the store.
“SprintStudio serves as a one-of-a-kind retail experience, designed to bring a more interactive experience to the customer,” said Alves.
Mountain Hardwear Opens Its First Store
Mountain Hardwear, a leading mountaineering and outdoor equipment and clothing company, has opened its first retail store in Portland, OR. The 3,000-sq.-ft. store showcases the largest selection of Mountain Hardwear apparel and equipment and Montrail footwear in the world.
“The store will allow consumers to see the full extent of our product in an environment that represents our brand from entrance to check out.” said Mike Wallenfels, President, Mountain Hardwear.
The store, designed by Portland-based 2 Hemispheres, features a computer kiosk with links to outdoor clubs. “Our vision is for the store to becomes a meeting place for the local outdoor community as they prepare for their next adventure,” Wallenfels said.
L.L. Bean Store To Open In Chicago
L.L.Bean, the 96-year-old Maine outdoor gear & apparel outfitter, will soon open its first store in the Chicago region. This is L.L.Bean’s first store expansion outside the Northeast corridor. The new store will be L.L.Bean’s 7th “green” store, incorporating recycled and reclaimed materials as well as state of the art heating, cooling and lighting systems.
“Our stores are where the L.L.Bean catalogs come to life,” said Chris McCormick, CEO, L.L.Bean. “We will offer our authentic product selection of active, outdoor sports gear along with kids’, and men’s and women’s casual apparel.”
Adding to the interest of the new store will be L.L.Bean’s Outdoor Discovery School, where expert instructors offer “Walk-On Adventures,” introductory hands-on experiences in such sports as kayaking and fly-fishing.
Carnival Brings Flagship Grocery Concept To Plano, Texas
Carnival Food Stores has unveiled its Latino-themed Carnival Super Market format to Plano, TX shoppers. The 55,000-sq. ft. supermarket has an expanded international section, new specialty departments, dental and medical clinics, and a distinctive store décor package.
The flagship Carnival Super Market features a new 440-foot international foods section. Each of the fresh food departments, which line the store’s perimeter, feature unique “storefronts” delineated by lively graphics. A leaping fish, for example, signifies pescaderia (fish), and a longhorn steer signifies carniceria (meat). Signage is in English and Spanish. Carnival also injects whimsy into the shopping experience with sound effects such as a crowing rooster and a mooing cow in the dairy section.
Adrenalina To Expand Extreme Sports Retail Destination
Adrenalina, a retail entertainment destination designed for extreme sports enthusiasts, has announced plans to open stores in the Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Houston and New York markets. Jeffrey Geller, President, Adrenalina, said, “We are excited to introduce a unique shopping experience through a store environment that caters to customers looking to meet their extreme sports needs.”
Adrenalina pioneered and branded “The Extreme Store” concept, which showcases top-quality athletic apparel, equipment and accessories in a fun, engaging retail entertainment format. Building on the popularity of the Adrenalina TV program, the stores, which average 10,000 sq. ft., feature the first FlowRider® wave machines to be installed in retail locations.
Dewar's Clubhouse Opens At Honolulu International Airport
HMSHost Corp. has opened the Dewar’s Clubhouse at Honolulu International Airport's Central Concourse to cater to travelers who are golf aficionados and Scotch lovers alike.
“HMSHost brings the Airport two nationally recognized brands set in a unique atmosphere that offer our Honolulu travelers dining options that exceed their expectations,” said Brennon Morioka, Director, Hawaii Department of Transportation.
Dewar's Clubhouse delivers the sophisticated elegance of a European golf clubhouse with the sensibility of an American bar and grill. The full-service restaurant will feature live sports broadcasts and continuous golf highlights.
Miller Loyalty Program Invites Consumers To ‘Live The Life, Get the Gear’
Miller High Life has launched Miller High Life Extras, a loyalty program that will reward consumers who are “living the high life” with exclusive merchandise, ranging from an official Miller High Life delivery shirt to a branded fire pit. Miller High Life Extras is a points-based loyalty program that allows consumers to earn reward points by purchasing specially marked cans and bottles of Miller High Life and Miller High Life Light.
“Miller High Life fans are among the most loyal beer drinkers in the country, and the Extras program is our way of rewarding their loyalty,” said Kevin Oglesby, Sr. Brand Manager, Miller High Life. “Whether they save up points to earn a High Life baseball hat or an authentic delivery shirt, consumers can proudly display the timeless High Life logo, knowing they’ve chosen the best beer value in America.”
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