On November 19, the reopening of the Hamburg Rewe store took place. The huge store with a total size around 5,000 sqm got a complete make-over. Together with Jos De Vries - an internationally recognized developer of innovative store concepts - three key values were put into practice: In the brand-new, ultra-modern experience store, convenience, regionality (from field to kitchen) and seamless transparency are at the forefront.
For 30 years now, the - originally Dutch - company Jos De Vries has been providing advice and support to both small local suppliers and large, well-known food retail chains in the development of successful store concepts. "At Rewe, we predominantly design the larger stores with a sales area of 3,000 square meters or more," explains Martin Gaber, who is responsible for customers in the DACH region.
Showcase project
The Hamburg megastore was an existing store that was completely remodeled within three weeks. The store is intended to act as a showcase project for future Rewe stores, Gaber said. "We see a sudden shift in food retailing toward ready-made convenience products. However, these should preferably not be industrially produced, but rather prepared on site, creating both a true shopping experience and complete transparency."
But implementing innovative foodservice concepts is just one focus of a three-part store strategy, he said. "Especially for fruits and vegetables, there is a lot of emphasis on regionality as well as organic products. The complete value chain from the field to the kitchen should be explained at the point of sale, so that there is complete transparency. Accordingly, we pay particular attention to storytelling in our store concepts, for example through info boards from the farmer."
Postponement of planned projects
Corona in particular changed the entire shopping behavior of consumers and thus intensified the pressure on retailers, according to Gaber. "Retail is undoubtedly profiting from the crisis, because - due to the closure of the hospitality industry - people simply buy more from the trade." However, this trend also has a downside, he said. "Due to the high frequency in the markets, there is no possibility to implement new projects. The willingness to invest is there, but a lot is postponed until next year."
More information:
Martin Gaber
Jos De Vries BV
+43 660 396 84 84
https://www.josdevries.eu/