JOHNSTON, Iowa --Kum & Go LC opened the doors on Feb. 18 to its newly rebuilt convenience store in Johnston, Iowa. At more than 6,000 square feet, the store is the first to use the chain’s new Marketplace design prototype.
Developing this distinctive model took nearly two years, the company said, and the result is an entirely new concept.
The centerpiece of the c-store is an expanded and open food preparation area that customers can see from the moment they enter. It offers an elevated foodservice experience with Kum & Go’s “Go Fresh Market.”
The store also features an expansive beer cave and growler station. The growler station offers a selection of eight craft beers, three of which are from Iowa breweries, Kristie Bell, Kum & Go communications director, told The Des Moines Register. Customers can buy a 32- or 64-ounce take-home container or bring in their own to fill with their choice of fresh beer.
The store has clear aisles and easy-to-navigate zones, indoor and outdoor seating, free Wi-Fi and charging stations for customers.
The location sports 14 fueling pumps offering E85, E15, diesel and unleaded fuels, said the report. On Feb. 19, as an opening promotion, customers can fill up with E15 for 99 cents per gallon at this store only from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The store has been designed for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)-certified status, using energy efficient and sustainable practices.
And visible on 86th Street is a new piece of artwork that Kum & Go commissioned specifically for this Johnston location. An eight-foot-tall, seven-foot-wide ampersand--paying tribute to Kum & Go’s slogan “Where & means more”--sits on the north side of the store. Designed and produced by Des Moines-based art studio Sticks, the sign pays tribute to the community of Johnston with key words and images that reflect the area’s attractions and slogans on one side. The opposite side showcases the Kum & Go core values and culture.
Retail design firm CBX, New York, conceptualized the store design, and BRR, an architecture firm in Kansas City, developed the working prototype. Local partners included Henning Construction from Johnston, Performance Display and Civil Design Advantage from Grimes, and Seneca Cos. from Des Moines. Additional partners included Hussmann, Nagle Signs and Arning Cos.
Kum & Go operates three stores in the Johnston community.
The company will use this new layout this year for 28 more new convenience stores in Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri, and Arkansas. The next Iowa location will be in Waukee, slated to open in spring 2016.
“This new footprint represents everything that Kum & Go strives to be for our associates and for our customers,” said Kum & Go president and CEO Kyle Krause. “This is the evolution of our brand promise and business approach. Now customers can truly experience the ‘more’ that we provide.”
West Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go has 430 stores and 11 states (Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming).
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