Spanish retail co-op Eroski has opened a new franchised convenience store under its ‘Rapid’ banner in a service station in the Arane district of Guernica in the Basque region.
The new store adds to the existing 10 convenience stores in Madrid, the Levante area, Barcelona and the Balearics.
The co-operative is planning 20 new stores in this format in 2019 and to build a convenience network of 200 stores in the next five years – by setting up franchises with small local entrepreneurs.
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The convenience store format is a growth area in commercial retail and Eroski’s Rapid outlets are small stores around 150sq m in size, situated in urban and tourist areas with a high population density.
The new store – at the Avia Amunaga service station – sells over 1,500 products as well as bread and pastries freshly baked on site. And the Club Avia loyalty scheme offers customers discounts on fuel and store purchases.
According to Eroski, the design of the store stands out because it enables people to buy quickly, usually on their way to work or home in urban areas, or any time of the day in tourist areas. It’s a design that responds to people’s lack of time when they need to make quick, convenience purchases, often in response to unforeseen needs.
