instore - February 2018 - 20

The new Go Fresh Market design provides ample seating - indoor and
outdoor - for customers to eat, meet and recharge.

The Go Fresh Marketplace concept has ample indoor and outdoor
seating, free WiFi, charging stations and other amenities that give
customers a gentle nudge to hang around and, perhaps, make some
more food purchases.
"We've anecdotally heard from customers that they appreciate being able
to enjoy their meal in the store instead of eating while driving, or sitting in
their car in the parking lot," Bell says. "We're also seeing our stores used as
a cafe of sorts - regular coffee groups meeting up to share a cup of coffee
and conversation. As the lines between grocery, gas stations, quick-serve
restaurants and convenience stores continue to blur, we're always looking
for ways to live up to our tagline, 'Where & means more.'"
The success of the revamped foodservice line and the information the
company is getting from the way its customers are interacting with the
store design is already leading to on-the-go changes to the Marketplace.
"We've learned a lot about what works best in the store format, and
we've already begun to build modified versions of the Marketplace
store based on those learnings," Bell says.
For example, the cash wrap was initially on the back wall of the store,
but the orientation has been changed so that it backs up against the
front windows now. This not only serves as a way to get the cash wrap
closer to the front door, but it also puts more of an emphasis on the
food, coffee and drink areas.
In Iowa Kum & Go locations, customers can have their beer growlers
filled by associates. This has proven to be a popular service, but associates had to walk away from the cash wrap and across the store to assist
a growler customer. The growler stations have now been designed as
an offshoot of the cash wrap.
20 * FEBRUARY 2018 * instore

The total size of the stores has also decreased by an average of about
400 square feet since the initial concept was unveiled. "We found that
the stores were just a little bigger than we needed, so we were able to
pare down the square footage and adjust," Bell says.

Building a following
Most regions have a favorite c-store chain, where food is celebrated,
and consumers share their visits on social media. Wawa, RaceTrac,
Sheetz, QuikTrip and others have filled that role in their respective
markets, and Kum & Go is doing the same.
"We're doing a lot more with food innovation and trying out new offerings for a limited time, to gauge customer reaction," Bell says. "We want
to be known for having lots of tasty and interesting choices."
Kum & Go also highlights its regular food-centered promotions, like
a recent deal that offered 10 cents off per gallon of gas if a customer
purchased a whole pizza. In addition to TV and radio advertising in the
company's major markets, its &Rewards loyalty program is a vital way
for it to get those promotions in front of customers.
"And it's the best way to earn free items for shopping with us," Bell says.
"We regularly send out emails informing customers of new food items
we're carrying, and offers show up in the &Rewards app, informing
customers of what's on special."
As the customer base grows and Kum & Go looks into the future, the
company is committed to staying in front of what consumers are
looking for when it comes to food.
"We'll always offer the slice of pizza in a warmer, or a roller grill item
- the more traditional c-store fare," Bell says. "But we also want to
help change the perception of what convenience store food can be.
For us, it's continuing to try new and fun things that you wouldn't
necessarily expect."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - February 2018