5 Stunning C-Store Designs You Might Have Missed
May 16, 2016Millers
Retailer Jeff Miller is out to reinvigorate the Norfolk, Va.-based Miller Oil Co. brand with a new store design and an improved store experience, including a self-branded fuel offer.
"We began testing Millers-branded gasoline [over the past 18 months], with very encouraging results," Miller told CSP Daily News. "Not only are we able to be more competitive on the street, but it also helps with our store branding. No longer does the consumer have to look beyond the major-oil-company sign to see our name on the store."
Space Age Fuel
Don Nelson said the new contemporary prototype by Clackamas, Ore.-based Space Age Fuel is more than just a shiny new veneer.
"We wanted to update the look and also increase the functionality of the store, all in hopes of increasing sales and profit," the company general manger told CSP Daily News. "We had a 'feel-good experience' in mind when we redesigned our store. We expanded our aisle widths and broadened our offerings by eliminating unproductive space.
"We also wanted to foster an environment that lets customers stay as long as they’d like. For that, we designed bar seating areas with charging stations and free Wi-Fi that invite our traveling customers to stay a while. We believe that when customers feel good while in our stores, which includes offering them inviting shopping areas and good selections, they are likely to buy more products."
Rutter's Farm Store
York, Pa.-based Rutter’s Farm Stores is shaking things up in the convenience-store industry with its biggest store yet: a 9,100-square-foot “monument to convenience” in York Springs, Pa.
"This store is larger than our others because we see it as a destination along a highly traveled thoroughfare," said CEO Scott Hartman. "What makes this store distinctive is what we consider to be 'a monument to convenience.' We pay tribute to the historical importance of Gettysburg and, likewise, we seek a blend that ties to our industry’s heritage of fast and friendly service while also giving tourists and travelers a needed break to rest, stretch, refuel and recharge."
Big 10 Mart
Molo Cos. of Dubuque, Iowa, is winning customers with a cutting-edge design of its Big 10 Mart in Bettendorf, Iowa.
"We constantly challenge ourselves to keep up with the changing needs and expectations of our customers," said Brian Matlock, vice president of marketing and retail operations. "Our newest model is 4,200 square feet and is designed to give our customers a proprietary food and beverage experience as soon as they walk through our doors. Traditional c-store merchandise is pushed to the sides. Fresh food and beverages take center stage, and we’re excited about the ability to customize both to our customers’ preferences."
7-Eleven Stores
The newest stores from Oklahoma City-based 7-Eleven Stores (sometimes mistakenly called 7-Eleven Stores of Oklahoma) are much bigger, about 5,600 square feet, than previous models.
They are "light, bright and inviting," said CEO Jim Brown. "Our customers have responded very well to [the design]. Each prototype has a full kitchen, and the new template expands on many of the offers we have in existing stores, making it a more experiential event for our customers."