TAMPA, Fla. -- The Association for Retail Environments (ARE) recently honored api(+), Tampa, Fla., with its gold award in the 2015 ARE Design Awards in the convenience-store category for its design of the Walmart to Go small-format concept.
Walmart to Go is Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s first pure-play convenience store and gas station, which it opened in its Bentonville, Ark., home town in March 2014.
“Illuminated branding beckons like bright jewels above fueling stations angled to fit eight pumps in the 14,000-square-foot lot,” ARE said in announcing the award. “Well-lit canopies create a safe, open environment. Splayed yellow ‘W’ columns and a green entry canopy complement Walmart's logo spark. Concrete masonry doubles as interior and exterior finish that's economical and durable. Base building materials, a galvanized roof deck, polished concrete floors, galvanized cooler panels, and exposed finishes create an urban loft theme in the 5,129-sq.-ft. store. The cost-efficient design is easily adaptable for rollout.”
And api(+) described the design in more detail:
“Our design includes vibrant exterior canopies emphasizing an open, inviting and safe experience that draws customers from their cars to the fresh products inside. The bright white fuel station canopy is supported by yellow columns designed to mimic the burst of petals in the Walmart spark and the ‘W’ in Walmart. Three sparks on the underside of the fuel canopy double as branding and lighting. A green walkway canopy, lower in height than the fuel canopy, creates an engaging fresh connection to the store’s products, which are highly visible through expansive 14-foot-high storefront glass.
“Inside, our merchandising plan emphasizes the abundant fresh selection by collecting fresh products to the right upon entering the store, designed to be immediately visible. In combination with the green canopy, the layout creates a store-within-a-store customer experience and conveniently arranges frequent fresh purchases in a compact, easy-to-shop configuration. A minimalist approach to the construction and finishes smartly and cost-effectively positions the store environment with a value/fresh signature.”
Pan-Oston Co., Bowling Green, Ky., provided the fixtures.
Click here for additional pictures.
The Association for Retail Environments is a non-profit trade association advancing the retail-environments industry and the success of our member companies through education, insights, marketing, and events. Members include store-fixture suppliers, retail design firms, suppliers of visual merchandising products, suppliers of materials and equipment for the industry and service providers such as 3PLs and installers.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.