Plumping Up The Turkey

Kroger's new Turkey Hill Market prototype not only thinks outside the c-store box, it creates an entirely new box

Turkey Hill's latest store put on a few pounds — quite strategically.

Kroger Inc.'s convenience store format, Turkey Hill Minit Markets, continued its expansion in September by unveiling a brand-new store format in Marysville, Ohio, now home to the first-ever Turkey Hill Market (minus the Minit).

Like its sister Turkey Hill Minit Markets, the new Turkey Hill Market prototype features motor fuels, cigarettes, beer and snacks, but it also has plumped up offerings of frozen foods, dairy, fresh produce, meats, vegetables and non-perishable, take-home groceries; many of the products bear the name of its supermarket giant parent.

At more than 6,800 square feet, the market is "more than double the size of most traditional c-stores, allowing [Turkey Hill] to carry hundreds of Kroger corporate brand items at everyday low prices," Van Tarver, vice president of Kroger's Convenience Stores and Petroleum Group, told Convenience Store News in an exclusive interview. "We have challenged ourselves to move away from the look and feel of a traditional gas station."

Other highlights and c-store differentiators include a bistro-style, store-prepared, hot food program with build-your-own sandwiches, wraps, bowls, fried chicken and pizza; a dual entrance with automatic doors; push carts; and five checkout positions.

The new Turkey Hill Market also features offerings familiar to Turkey Hill Minit Market customers, including fresh-brewed coffee and cappuccino in assorted flavors and blends, fountain drinks, and Turkey Hill-brand ice cream, iced tea and other drinks. Additionally, the store is participating in Kroger's fuel loyalty program with the Kroger Plus card.

"We are able to combine the products customers want, low prices and our best-in-class shopper card loyalty program to deliver more value to Kroger customers and shareholders," Tarver explained.

Turkey Hill President Darel Pfeiff said the vision for Turkey Hill Market is to be a contemporary version of the corner grocery with a wider grocery product selection, but still with the grab-and-go staples of a convenience store/gas station.

While Kroger operates a variety of retail formats, including what it calls combination stores, marketplace stores, multi-department stores, price-impact warehouse stores and price-impact stores, this new prototype was the company's specific response "to customers looking for more convenient ways to meet their daily shopping needs," according to Tarver.

"We began this journey with a traditional convenience/gas footprint with the addition of staple grocery products," he said. "From there, we slowly added additional take-home products and categories. Today, we have more grocery items than ever before."

LISTEN & LEARN

Turkey Hill Market was not created with a plan set in stone. Even though it has not yet been open six months, there have already been minor adjustments carried out — primarily adding items to sets based on customer requests.

"Our goal with pilots like this is to listen and learn," stated Tarver. "We are finalizing plans now to add additional parking and a seating section for prepared foods, and redesigning our checkouts to accommodate larger baskets more efficiently. We are pleased with customer acceptance of the new format."

As for Turkey Hill Market's growth plans, the company is breaking ground on its second location — a new build in Columbus, Ohio. The chain also plans to remodel some existing stores in central Ohio, but no further details have been revealed yet.

"We will continue to evaluate results and make decisions that benefit our customers," said Tarver. "This is an exciting time at Kroger and in the convenience store industry."

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