Sainsbury's has unveiled plans to change the public perception of its convenience store business, from Local stores as small supermarkets to neighbourhood grocery stores.
The approach would be rolled out across the network of 330 Sainsbury's Local stores and the 30 per cent of additional stores it will bolt on to its c-store network in the next three years,
The rebrand requires a significant stepchange for the supermarket group, which will be underpinned by a new strapline - "Sainsbury's Local, Your Local Sainsbury's".
Euan McMurdo, Sainsbury's head of property convenience, told c-store.co.uk. "We want local people to think of the stores as their local neighbourhood shop and not like supermarkets, and the strapline helps to achieve this.”
Ranging and merchandising will undergo a rethink too, including such moves as lowering shelf heights and incorporating a higher proportion of fresh and chilled foods. Suppliers will be leaned upon by Sainsbury’s to provide solutions that shrink pack sizes of certain products - to bring the offer into line with the convenience-driven consumer.
McMurdo said: "We are on track with our expansion plans and are actively looking at sites across the UK where there is a local or transient community," he said.
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