Colorado store takes convenience to the next level

A Colorado convenience store chain has announced a new format that morphs the features of a convenience store with the product selection of a natural grocery and a fast casual restaurant. Plus there will be a mobile app that allows customers to order and pay ahead of time. In a recent press release, executives at the company, Choice Market, hailed the new format as "disruptive."

A new 2,700 square foot Choice Market store, slated to open in Denver in 2019, will include a 2,700 square foot c-store, as well as fuel pumps, electric vehicle supercharging stations, a bike-share terminal and electric scooter charging stations, the company said. Customers will have the option to skip the checkout process entirely, order and pay ahead of time with the Choice Mobile App. Shoppers who wish to pay at time of checkout via in-store POS will be able to do so. The company said it also expects to become one of the first in the state to make beer deliveries once a pending change in Colorado's liquor laws takes hold.

"There's nothing more valuable than our customers' time, and we are really excited to offer this new format which allows them to combine several different shopping occasions in one stop, while providing them with the option to skip the checkout process altogether," said Mike Fogarty, founder and CEO of Choice Market. "If a customer cannot make it to the store, we will deliver any of our products to their doorsteps within 45 minutes. That is true convenience," he added.

Choice partnered with AVA Retail on the project. AVA leverages artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) to support cashierless checkouts. Last year, Mastercard revealed it was working with AVA to pilot new retail and working environments. "This collaboration is a great example of how we can couple our rich set of payment, security and analytic capabilities with AVA retail's IoT assets to help retailers deploy unique experiences today," Mastercard senior vice president Stephane Wyper said at the time.

Editorial Note:

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