Sainsbury's has opened its recently renovated Hempstead Valley supermarket in Kent to the public.
The multi-million-pound investment in the outlet was aimed at modernising the store, and includes the installation of the first Fresh Food Market in a Sainsbury's.
It is a new format that the retailer is testing at the store and comprises a market-style presentation of fresh fruit and vegetables, focusing on seasonality and British Heritage.
The renovation project, which took eight months to complete, has added a wide variety of features complementing the store.
A Modernised Supermarket
The modernised supermarket features a new-look café, dedicated on-the-go hub with snacking, coffee machine, fresh juicer and sushi bar, and an Argos store.
The project also involved the remodelling of the beauty department and clothing and home section, installing a new self-service patisserie counter, and a takeaway hot food bar, including the retailer's popular pizza counter.
The improvements extended beyond the 62,000 square feet shop floor to the employee areas, which saw the addition of new furniture, digital notice boards, painting and decorations.
Next to the store, Sainsbury's petrol station has also been redeveloped, with more on-the-go ranges and home essentials.
One-Stop Shop
Sainsbury's property director, Patrick Dunne, said the group hopes the store will give customers "a one-stop-shop experience".
Commenting on the input the group received during the refurbishment process, Dunne added, "We will also use many of the learnings throughout the phases of work, together with the ongoing feedback from our customers and colleagues on our changes, to help us as we continue to invest in our stores."
The upgrades to the store are expected to impact the group's environmental footprint, with the business saving approximately 30% in gas use and 15% in electricity annually.
Sainsbury's has outlined a commitment to make its operations sustainable in line with its ambitious target to be net-zero across all of its operations by 2040.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
