The discounter Penny is redesigning its branches with a new concept.
Similar to other chains, the company relies on a different appearance.
Cologne - The shopping experience has got a new focus due to the Corona crisis.
The grocery trade is booming.
Many chains such as Edeka, Rewe, Aldi and Co. were able to show large sales figures in the Corona year.
Even at Penny, sales rose 5.4 percent in 2020.
The numbers are still far behind the discounter competitors.
With a new concept, the company wants to give customers a better overview.
So far 150 stores have been converted.
Another 600 branches are to follow by the end of the year.
New concept at Penny: redesign of the branches - what changes for customers
In its new concept for the redesign of the branches, the Rewe subsidiary relies on a so-called “market hall concept”. What customers will notice immediately is the complete reorganization of the goods. The branches are being rearranged in such a way that certain product groups are grouped together in assortment areas. This should make the discounter clearer. We already know this division from supermarkets. Instead of stacked boxes of food, customers can now find modern shelves.
Stefan Magel, Divisional Director Retail Germany of the Rewe Group, sees Penny in the new concept as a “super discounter”, positioned between supermarket and discounter, as he
explains
to the
food
newspaper.
The entire appearance of the discounter should change.
In the branches that have already been converted, the rows of shelves are no longer lengthwise inside the shop, but are divided into groups.
The customer is led through the store like a labyrinth and finds various product ranges in a U-shape.
Video: Aldi, Lidl, Penny and Co. - New test reveals the most popular discounter
Penny wants to win "regular customers" - "Scan & Go" technology in every converted branch
Instead of freezers, modern freezer shelves are also used here, as we know them from supermarkets. The "Scan & Go" technology should also be available in every converted branch. This means that customers can use their smartphone to scan their selected products themselves and pack them up straight away. He then pays for his purchase contactlessly at a separate checkout. Other discounters such as Aldi and Lidl rely on similar concepts.
Penny's new strategy seems to be working.
In the converted branches, sales have increased "by 15 percent", Magel told the
food newspaper
.
The average receipt has also "increased significantly".
Magel specifies an investment budget for the market hall renovation "from 120,000 to 250,000 euros" per location.
The total investment for the conversion should add up to a three-digit million amount, according to the sheet.
(tkip)
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