Sainsbury's unveils new 'On the Go' city shops

British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is launching a new city-centre store concept, with a first store opening in London. Nine other stores have already been confirmed.

One-stop-shop for office workers

Sainsbury’s has plans to convert more than 130 proximity stores in busy urban areas into ‘On the Go’ stores, the British supermarket chain says in a press release. The new concept is a convenience concept that was specially developed to meet local needs in large cities.

The first branch opens near the Mansion House subway station (in the centre of the City of London) and targets office workers in the area. The new supermarket combines the chain’s freshly prepared meals – which can be consumed on the spot – with a one-stop-shop offering of food and general products. There is also a pick-up point for online retailer Argos, while mobile scanning and checkout is possible with the SmartShop app.

The range in the 200 sqm store is specifically adapted to the location: almost 90 % of the products are specifically selected to meet the needs of local customers. In addition to a wider range of fresh food and flowers, a number of premium brands, such as Tony’s Chocolonely and Leon Grocery, have been added to the shelves.

‘Food to go’ grows by 25 %

Customers can consume their items on the spot: the store features a pizza oven, a bakery and a fresh sushi stand. Tables have also been placed at the front of the shop, as well as counters with ready-to-eat dishes. The offer changes three times a day, to cater for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

In the coming months, nine more On the Go stores will be opened in Edinburgh, Bristol, Glasgow and London as a test, but Sainsbury’s already sees it as big: the British ‘food to go’ market is expected to be worth around 25 billion euros by 2024, 26 % more than in 2019. “We’re confident this format will further strengthen our market-leading position in convenience, Director of Commercial Operations Graham Biggart said.