New Stand Aims to Be Half Convenience Store, Half Blog
NEW YORK — Convenience store chain startup New Stand is branching out and exploring new ways of offering convenience as it goes from three New York City locations at the beginning of 2017 to a total of 25 sites in various locations across the United States, including inside Los Angeles and Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airports.
The company's founders see it as half conveniences stores and half blog as it gives something better to commuters and other travelers, reported Adweek.
"We're a day improvement company," Andrew Deitchman, co-founder and CEO, told the news outlet. "We do spend time with people by selling them things they need, but we also provide great content and playlists for them within our app."
With the goal of connecting the physical world with the digital world, customers can points via purchases made at New Stand locations and can redeem them for discounts on other products. The brand's mobile app enables seamless transactions through an in-app wallet. It also lets customers validate monthly ferry passes at locations on board New York City ferries, as CSNews Online previously reported.
Products available at New Stand include better-for-you snacks, natural beauty products and items such as headphones and mini camera refills, along with unusual novelties like inflatable unicorn horns.
"Other companies like Hudson News or Wawa are also out there to be helpful for people," Deitchman said. "What we're trying to do is change the idea of routines and how we can fit into your everyday life."
The "blog" side of the business comes from the articles and music stocked in the mobile app. Both the app and New Stand membership are free.
"Half of our revenue comes from our members," said Lex Kendall, co-founder and chief operating officer. "That's way beyond what we thought we'd see by this point. We're a unique type of company who can work with brands and partners to leverage the kinds of data we're collecting, purchase history combined with content consumption, and people have been interested."
Recent partnerships with the Refinery29 exhibit 29Rooms and makeup company Urban Decay have helped New Stand to become a commerce-filled event space, according to the report.
"People walk by us and stop and stare before they end up coming in," Kendall said. "Our stores are modular, magnetic and beautiful. Our staff is trained to be helpful and help customers form a relationship with us."
Future developments for New Stand may result in the company targeting consumers who are stopping for a while in addition to those who are actively on-to-go. It could potentially move into hotels, according to the founders.