Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize has announced the launch of a new concept supermarket in Belgium, offering fresh ready-to-eat meals and a range of digital services.
The retailer plans to open another nine outlets in the same format by the end of this year, and 36 more by the end of 2019.
The new store is the outcome of a thorough analysis of customer needs, and is a complete diversion from Delhaize's classic store design.
Fresh Food Concept
As well as a wider choice of products, the new-format store offers freshly prepared ready-to-eat meals on a daily basis in its Fresh Atelier section.
The meals are prepared from recipes based on a balanced diet, and fruit juices and soups of the day use unsold products from the fruit and vegetable section.
The Fresh Atelier section is located at the entrance of the store for customers who want to avail quicker services.
"Delhaize is listening more than ever to its customers in order to respond even better to their current needs,” said Delhaize CEO Xavier Piesvaux. “I believe that we have succeeded with this new store, and we will soon launch even more new concepts.”
Digital Services
Customers at the new concept store can even order online while shopping at these outlets with the help of screens installed at the store. This 'endless aisle' concept has been developed in collaboration with This Place, a digital agency that transforms customer experience of big businesses by implementing strategy, design and development.
This enables users to choose from a wider range of products, which is over and above the 20,000 items available in the store.
The facility also provides customers the option to pick up their order the following day or request for a home delivery.
The new store has also incorporated tailor-made shopping routes for different shopping needs, such as small convenience purchases or extensive buys.
The routes are designed in a way that consumers pick up heavy items earlier, while frozen items are stationed at the end of the route to keep products as cold as possible.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
