UK retail sales experienced their “worst June on record” according to the British Retail Consortium. Small surprise then that retailers and brands are testing and trialling new ways to drive growth.

We see the future of shopping strongly steered by convenience.

The UK grocery convenience market is set to outperform grocery as a whole by 2022, which is expected to grow over the same period by 0.9%, reports GlobalData.

These predictions are reinforced by customer behaviour. Time-poor, digitally enabled and infinitely inspired – people are hungry for fresh and arresting experiences.

There are a number of ways to optimise retail strategies for convenience. We have identified four.

Premium redefined

A strategy of ‘purposeful premiumisation’ to meet demand for speed-scratch solutions and restaurant-ready-to-consumer food with premium products.

Speed-scratch cooking means using convenience or ready-made products and adding a few fresh ingredients to complete the meal.

Shoreditch-based Raw Store, with an emphasis on artisanal, selling only quality organic, diet-specific or local produce, is actively innovating in this space.

And Allplants delivers chef-made premium ready meals right to your door on a weekly basis.

Mintel 2019 predicts convenience stores will increasingly consider more premium fresh ranges with holistic ingredients, and this already seems to be the case. Tesco has unveiled plans for high-end convenience ‘Finest’ stores in a bid to evolve ahead of competitors and boost profits.

Top-up shopping

Caters to the trend for shopping focused purely on meals for a few days ahead – 55% of shoppers say they visit a convenience store for a top-up mission.

To meet multiple, small-scale shopping trips, retailers could focus on ‘all-day needs’ and stock ranges to fulfil different parts of the day. Nielsen HomeScan identifies that spend per life stage differs on a weekday from a weekend, so understanding which shoppers shop when, and flexing promotions and off-shelf space accordingly, will yield results.

Amazon’s ‘just walk out’ stores cater to top-up shopping: walk in, grab ready-to-eat options and walk out. Amazon’s own quick home-cooked meal kits offer another convenience choice, with ingredients and instructions to prepare a meal in 30 minutes.

Hyper-local

Develop hyper-local strategies. Location, location, location really matters.

With 38% of UK shoppers visiting a convenience store as they pass by, being local is critical to success. So too is leveraging data to understand local shoppers and tailoring ranges accordingly.

Nike uses local data to stock shelves and offers seamless shopping in its Los Angeles flagship. The ‘Speed Staff’ stock a floor based on items selling best online in the local area, while the Nike app recognises when people enter the store and delivers on-the-go access.

Customers reserve items, scan products on mannequins, request their own size and check out without having to queue.

In the US, Wawa, the north-east-based convenience chain, released its Winter Reserve Coffee Stout in collaboration with Pennsylvania-based 2SP Brewing Company. Wawa’s partnership with the community-based brewer highlighted the popularity of local, limited-edition products, demonstrated by a huge pre-release event turnout.

Convenient design

Prioritise ‘convenient design’.

Products and packaging designed for immediate consumption, and that are small and sustainable, such as loose goods at refill stations – pioneered by convenience chain Eat 17 – work well. Eat 17 has rightly become known for supporting local suppliers and striking a clever balance between convenience retail, which feels local and personable, and scalable growth.

Nestlé recently launched single-use ‘box bowls’ (cereal eaten straight from the box – just add milk). What’s more, the packaging is 100% recyclable with the inner part of the box retaining moisture.

Of course, no retailer can afford to underestimate the profound challenges that exist in the cut-throat, multichannel landscape. But make no mistake, the businesses that best meet today’s convenience consumers’ desires will be best positioned for future success.