With its new convenience-store brand Fillinup, Rmarts developed a store meant to serve as a modern convenience market with the future in mind. The store, with its clean lines, warm earth tones and friendly atmosphere, is housed in a 2,800-square-foot retrofitted and repurposed Shell conventional bay design with an original, freshly stained wood ceiling.
Fillinup curates products that the operator knows will appeal to its customers.
It’s possible to pick up traditional carbonated soft drinks, as well as organic juice and tea options. The salty-snack selection is deep with healthy choices and unique brands. The foodservice offering includes only products the owner would be comfortable eating on a daily basis.
The beer selection features several Midwest and Chicago breweries. The space also includes a 600-square-foot Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru, which does well in capturing the desires of the community.
What the Experts Say
A small store partnered with a powerhouse fast-food partner can often be a recipe for disaster. Major fast-food franchises often dominate the site from the architecture to the parking to the interior aesthetics. That did not happen in this case. Even though this was the first location for Fillinup, it stood toe to toe with Dunkin’ Donuts from the outside in. This is always the best recipe for success. One side should never dominate the other. The Fillinup design is bold in every way. The colors, textures and 3-D graphics stand out and do a great job of enhancing the customer experience. —Mike Lawshe, president and CEO, Paragon Solutions