In this monthly update we would like to inspire you by sharing some innovative concepts which are adapting to the retailtrends: Omni Integration, Extreme Convenience, Extreme Experience and Sustainable Practices. Which breaking brands will inspire you? This month, the trend Extreme Convenience will have our attention with trends from RC Coffee Automat, Retail Cart and SPAR mini market.
About the trend
The modern consumer is busy, and the era of seamless, frictionless retailing is here. Due to the pandemic the customer wants to shop faster and more efficiently than before. Friction is every barrier we put in place to prevent customers from buying a product. Retailers are removing friction from the experience by adding elements of technology, subscriptions, delivery, and pick-up, while also streamlining the key elements of everyday operations.
#1 RC COFFEE AUTOMAT – CANADA
RC Coffee’s automated kiosk is a new concept that challenges customers’ perception on convenience coffee. It provides the quality, authentic, and personalized experience normally associated with a premium café (think long lines and wait times) and adapts it into a fast, contactless experience for on-the-go beverages. Using an app, customers can save favourite drinks, pre-order their pickup, and pay for their order. The app also uses location tracking so that the kiosk begins making your order when you get in the vicinity of the station, ensuring that your beverage is the right temperature and ready on arrival. RC Coffee is the first extremely convenient coffee offering in Canada and may spark imitators as fully contactless services become more popular. Typically, convenience coffee is not renowned for its quality or personalization. This model takes that expectation and turns it on its head.
#2 RETAIL CART - GERMANY
Retail Cart is a mobile sales solution by Umdasch the Store Makers. On the chassis of electric vehicles, completely mobile sales areas are designed to match the related product, brand or environment (e.g. to match the airport or duty-free store). Retail Carts are equipped with all the standard functions that can also be found in brick-and-mortar stores, such as POS terminals, display shelves and roller shutters. Even the shape and size of the vehicle can be adapted to the specific audience it is supposed to cater towards. Goods and other value items can always be protected by the integrated roller shutters of the vehicles, should the driver be temporarily unavailable. With a maximum payload of 1.361 Kg, a range of 48 Km and a top speed up to 19 Km/h, Retail Cart is a uniquely versatile retail solution and enables a more targeted response to the demands of travel retail. Customers expect the brand or product of their choice to find them at their location, rather than having to search the goods in multiple stores and locations.
#3 SPAR MINI MARKET – THE NETHERLANDS
SPAR is a supermarket chain that mainly focuses on convenience stores in 48 countries around the globe. In 2020, the company introduced a new one-person-store concept called “SPAR mini market”. The concept is a convenient solution for maintaining social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new store is only 16 m2, designed for one customer at a time, and can be transported easily to any possible location. The store assortment changes six times per day based on the eating habits of consumers throughout the day. The customer pays using self-checkout. Nonetheless, there is also one staff member on stand-by to assist customers whenever needed. The initial idea behind the container concept was to place it at different festivals. The festival season is over, but the store is still used at various places in the Netherlands. The flexible “mini market” can even be placed on the water. This concept is a unique solution for customer convenience since it can be moved to any place where supermarkets are not available. Additionally, it is an up-to-date solution for social distancing during the pandemic.