The UK retailer has launched its new city convenience store format, said to deliver “big innovation in small spaces” for local shoppers.
Sainsbury’s Mansion House store in London’s Square Mile is the retailer’s first On The Go store. It combines freshly made and prepared in-store food and drink with convenient ways to shop with Sainsbury’s and Argos.
Serving city shoppers
Sainsbury’s says it used data and analytics to design the 2,200 sq ft store to match the needs of busy city workers.
Perch tables at the front of the store allow somewhere to enjoy freshly made and baked food from an in-store pizza oven, bakery and Sushi Gourmet concession as well as hot porridge and drinks from a self-service coffee machine and orange juicer.
Products from counters have also been conveniently brought to a ‘grab and go’ station at the front of the store. Changed three times a day, it will offer customers a range of food to go for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.
Almost 90 per cent of the products available in the store have been picked specifically to meet the needs of Mansion House customers.
A range of digital services help customers shop quickly and conveniently and do more of their shopping under one roof. Customers can shop till-free using the SmartShop mobile app and rapid exit checkouts offer a quicker experience if shoppers choose to use a till.
The new format follows the success of Sainsbury’s recently launched neighbourhood convenience stores, which are said to offer residents in the local community a one-stop shop for a broad range of products and services.
More convenience to come
Nine more On the Go stores will open across Edinburgh, Bristol, Glasgow and London over the coming months, further testing the format in city centres. Sainsbury’s has over 130 local stores in busy urban areas that could be converted into On the Go stores.
The On the Go stores tap into the growing trend for convenient food to go. According to IGD the UK food to go market is forecast to be worth £23.4bn by 2024, up from £18.5bn in 2019, growing by 26.4%.
