Store of the future news

US-based Albertsons is partnering with Veeve Smart Carts to launch smart carts in around a dozen stores across the country. The retailer is aiming to develop a fast, contactless experience for its shoppers. Skipping traditional checkouts A growing number of retailers are piloting smart carts to offer a checkout-free shopping experience. Veeve Smart Carts enable shoppers to place their items...

Marks & Spencer (M&S) launched an impressive new concept store in a former Debenhams department store site. The M&S ‘store of the future’ was opened on the Roaring Meg retail park in Stevenage on Thursday 28 April 2022. The 75,000 sq. ft M&S store overs two floors, with the food hall, women’s clothing and a beauty department on the ground floor and homeware, baby and kids wear, an opticians, a...

Building on the launch of a new concept last year, USA-based, The Fresh Market, has opened a new store to showcase its premium retail credentials. Sensory experiences As with the new concept which launched in Greensboro last year, the store experience is based around two sensory elements. It has partnered with Roasting Plant Coffee to offer an exclusive "Just Roasted, Just Brewed, Just...

We have visited the first permanent cashierless store in Spain, which was opened by locally based start-up Geniot, in Madrid in March. The pilot store relies on the APRE (Automatic Pilot Retail) system, which has been developed by Geniot, and enables the store to be open 24/7 with a minimal number of staff. The launch comes after the opening of a pop-up cashierless store from start-up Ghop and fo...

FamilyMart continues to adapt its stores to meet food for later missions. Our view: magnification of minimarts Earlier this year, we highlighted five trends that will shape retail in Asia . The magnification of minimarts was one of them, and this is impacting the product mix of convenience stores across the region. FamilyMart is not only upgrading food and beverages in Taiwan, but also doi...

Foxtrot, Choice Market and The Goods Mart operate fewer than 30 convenience stores combined in the U.S, a market that has almost 150,000 convenience stores. However, we believe all three businesses have innovations that can be applied globally. We round up what can be learned…   Foxtrot: digitally enabled convenience Chicago-based Foxtrot was founded by Mike LaVitola in 2013. It was origina...

In the next phase of Walmart’s Supercenter development programme, the retailer has revealed a bold new look for its core hypermarket concept. We take a look inside this store and consider what it means for the wider business and its long-term strategy. Phase two: revolution  Following the launch of a new look Supercenter in 2020 , focused on wayfinding and integrating offline and onlin...

Amazon Style will launch later this year with in-store technology enhancing and personalising the shopping experience. Advanced technology in-store Amazon’s first physical clothing store, Amazon Style, is set to open in Los Angeles later this year. According to Amazon, it will offer a “ seamless and elevated shopping experience” . The store will feature items from brands customers “know an...

In November 2021, we visited Dublin to see some of the newest food-to-go stores and concepts.  Here are five of the must-see stores in Dublin that prove that Ireland remains best in class for food-to-go inspiration.  1. Centra, Miller’s Glen The new Centra store in Miller’s Glen, opened in November 2021, has a clear food-to-go focus, with a range of fresh hot and cold options, spanning a...

Croatia’s Konzum, which is part of the Fortenova Group, has enabled shoppers to pay with nine different cryptocurrencies through its online stores. Solution enables shoppers to pay online with range of cryptocurrencies Konzum has allowed shoppers to pay with a range of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Dai, Ripple, Stellar, alongside stablecoins like Tether and ...