Convenience is king as Woolies, Caltex launch new minimart
Boost Juice and hot roast chook will soon be available at service stations, with Woolworths and Caltex joining forces to create a one-stop shop for time-poor, fresh food-seeking customers.
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Woolworths and Caltex Australia have unveiled a new petrol station minimart offer as they bet convenience will provide a valuable growth opportunity in a sluggish retail environment.
The new format, branded Caltex Woolworths Metro, aims to attract time-poor shoppers by providing them with easy or ready-to-go meal options.
The retail offering at petrol stations is attracting growing attention and investment dollars, as Coles, BP and David Jones all look to expand the segment.
The first Caltex Woolworths Metro, unveiled in North Ryde in Sydney on Tuesday, stocks about 2500 different products, about 1000 more than a normal Caltex outlet.
The extend range covers sandwiches, ready meals, chilled pre-cut vegetables, hot food such as roast chooks, pies and pastries, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and cups of coffee.
A range of Woolworths own-brand grocery products will also be available and the store, which will trade 24 hours a day, incorporates a self-service checkout and Boost Juice outlet.
Caltex convenience retail executive general manager Jo Taylor said the new format would redefine the shopping experience at a petrol station.
“You will see a vastly expanded range of products for our customers, from fresh fruit and vegetables through to great sandwiches and salads, meals to take home and prepare for dinner as well as an expanded grocery range,” she told Business Daily.
“We know that our customers’ time is precious and they want to easily pull into a site, grab what they need and keep going on their journey.”
Woolworths wholesale general manager Ian McDonald said the new offer brought together the best elements from both Caltex and Woolworths.
“As customers’ needs change and demand for fresh, food-for-now and food-for-later continues to grow, so too do the expectations for quality and convenience,” he said.
A second Caltex Woolworths Metro will launch in Kingsford in Sydney later this month while Melbourne will get its first early next year. Up to 250 outlets will be rolled out, replacing Caltex’s existing Star Mart convenience stores.
Woolworths sold its 540 petrol stations to Britain’s EG Group for $1.7 billion last year.
They continue to provide a traditional convenience offering under Woolworths branding but the retailer’s logo will gradually be removed from these sites.
Coles has overhauled its deal with fuel supplier Viva Energy, reducing its cut from petrol sales in order to attract more motorists through the doors of Coles Express outlets.
The grocer has increased its range of ready-made meals and fresh food, introduced cheap cups of coffee and rolled out services such as allowing shoppers to pick up grocery orders from the sites.
BP and David Jones have also struck a deal to roll out mini food halls at 10 locations in Melbourne and Sydney.
More than 350 products supplied by David Jones will be sold including free-range rotisserie chickens, ready-made meals, gourmet deli items, sandwiches and a selection of long-life groceries.