Sainsbury’s has unveiled a new look Local convenience format, which will set the blueprint for its future c-store rollout.
The new concept debuted at Sainsbury’s refurbished Pudsey Town Local store in Leeds, which reopened in late February. Variations were rolled out to two new openings in London this week, at Sainsbury’s Bermondsey Square and Sloane Avenue Locals.
Sainsbury’s is in the middle of a major programme to reset its convenience store offer, as it targets further expansion under its Next Level strategy.
Following similar principles seen at its revamped supermarket at Cobham, Surrey, the new Pudsey format features a completely revamped closed refrigeration system, several digital screens, and Sainsbury’s first-ever dedicated self-serve locker for on-demand deliveries.
It lays the “foundations for our future stores”, said Sainsbury’s construction project manager Shawn Brennan, in a post celebrating the Pudsey reopening. The new format aims to make it “easier to shop”.
The most significant change to layout has been a brand new “food on the move” breakfast hub at the front of store, which The Grocer visited this week. It comes alongside a total reorganisation of aisle layout and signage.
Following a range review of its convenience estate, Sainsbury’s has increased the offer at the Pudsey store by around 5%, primarily through reorganising the way aisles are laid out, and by increasing the number of fridges, all of which are now fully enclosed, making them more energy-efficient.
It has allowed it to bolster key convenience lines like food to go, booze and breakfast staples. For example, Pudsey now offers four Sainsbury’s own label bacon lines, along with brands, compared with one before the refit. It has also now introduced new chicken in bag products, as well as a £12 Dine in For Two Taste the Difference offer, in a dedicated fridge.
Aldi Price Match branding is prevalent throughout, despite Sainsbury’s dialling back the total number of products matched over recent weeks.
Borrowing further from its Cobham future store format, Sainsbury’s has introduced new category bays dedicated to different shopping missions. One gondola end is now dedicated to breakfast, with a range of porridges and oat bars. Others include world foods, stocks and condiments, as well as food cupboard.
Sainsbury’s is also trialling a new self-serve locker for on-demand deliveries at the Pudsey store. A hatch-based format is also being trailed at Sloane Avenue. It closely follows the format introduced by Waitrose at its John Barnes store in August last year, but is the first time Sainsbury’s has rolled out a “purpose-built” concept of its own.
Store staff place orders into the new locker, which is located by the door. Drivers from Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats and Sainsbury’s own Chop Chop then use a code to collect their order. The system is linked to the store picking systems and staff are notified if an order has been sitting for longer than half an hour to ensure they can comply with cold chain rules.
Other changes include a refreshed checkout area, with new barriers and new lighting throughout. A new Argos Click & Collect station has been relocated to the back of the store.
While Sainsbury’s work to overhaul 180 of its larger supermarkets has drawn attention, it also plans a major expansion of its convenience store network over the course of its Next Level strategy. It plans to open or reopen around 25 new Local stores a year.
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