Choice Market Wins Breakout Retailer Honors
DENVER — Choice Market was named a 2023 Breakout Retailer award winner by Chain Store Age, a sister publication of Convenience Store News.
The convenience retailer was honored for its ambitious goal of reinventing the traditional c-store model by combining convenience, service and advanced technology with fresh, healthy food and other items from local vendors.
Choice Market's curated, better-for-you product selections also include everyday basic necessities, while its full-service, scratch kitchen offers seasonal meals that are prepared by trained chefs and made from fresh, local and sustainable products.
The awards were sponsored by architecture and design engineering firm Stantec and presented at Chain Store Age's 59th annual SPECS Show, held March 19-21 in Grapevine, Texas. Choice Market founder and CEO Mike Fogarty accepted the award on behalf of the company and shared his insights during a special panel discussion.
Other Breakout Retailers included Boot Barn, Academy Sports + Outdoors, IT'SUGAR and Condado Tacos.
"The Breakout Retailer awards recognize retail, restaurant and nontraditional specialty concepts that are investing in innovation and growth in brick-and-mortar," said Chain Store Age Editor-in-Chief Marianne Wilson. "The honored companies understand the critical role physical retail in today's omnichannel world."
Choice Market's vision of the reimagined c-store is reflected in its Denver flagship store, which houses products from more than 60 Colorado suppliers, according to Chain Store Age. The 5,000-square-foot store offers online ordering, click-and-collect options and delivery in 45 minutes or less — from either the in-house team that uses a fleet of electric bikes and cars or from third-party service providers.
The store also deploys AI-powered ceiling camera technology that lets shoppers use the Choice Market mobile app to scan products as they shop and then use the app to pay, bypassing the traditional checkout experience.
Choice Market was also lauded for upending the traditional c-store model by opening in unconventional settings, such as The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, which houses the company's fully autonomous mini-mart format. Designed for health care workers, students, faculty and staff, the 400-square-foot store operates around the clock, 365 days a year.
This smaller format is specifically designed for nontraditional retail spaces, including hospitals, airports and campuses. Choice Market plans to expand the concept nationwide while also moving forward with plans to expand its signature format and experiment with new ones.
Founded in 2017, Choice Market combines quick service and user-friendly technology with fresh quality food from local vendors and a practical product selection. It currently operates five locations in Denver's metro area. The company has plans to expand in Colorado and beyond.
Chain Store Age and Convenience Store News are properties of EnsembleIQ.