Freshies, a Maine-based convenience store chain, is one of many retailers that has shifted from the traditional Cokes-and-smokes convenience retailing approach to a food-centric store design as consumer preferences evolve.
As part of that journey, Freshies debuted a new format and updated visual design at a site in Bangor earlier this year.
The concept, called “Freshies 2.0,” grew out of a perception gap. Despite fresh food being a big part of Freshies’ offer, the word most customers used to describe the stores was clean as opposed to fresh, said John McCauley, partner and director of brand design at Paragon Solutions, in an email.
“The goal was to close the distance between what Freshies was already doing in the kitchen and what customers were actually seeing and feeling in the store,” he added.
Paragon introduced Freshies to trends and concepts from other markets, helping the retailer’s leaders consider new opportunities and look at the business “with a more expansive and forward-looking mindset,” said Robert Tracy, executive vice president of R.H. Foster Energy, which owns Freshies, via email.
The resulting 7,600-square-foot store features an upgraded coffee program, a beer cave and an elevated foodservice offering that includes new proprietary brands.
The space was also designed to facilitate more than just a pit stop.
“Beyond expanding our food offerings, the concept introduces inviting in-store seating that encourages customers to stay, dine, and engage with the brand in a more meaningful way,” Tracy said.
The new format may evolve further as it gets incorporated into Freshies’ new builds. The Bangor location worked within the footprint of the original building, while future stores can be structured around the new design at all stages.
“The objective was to make the store finally look and feel as fresh as the food being made inside it, reinforcing that message at every touchpoint,” said McCauley.
Spotlight on foodservice
Freshies has a made-to-order kitchen, as well as a number of grab-and-go options. As part of the refresh, Freshies and Paragon highlighted three subsections of the company’s foodservice program with their own dedicated space and branding.
One addition for this design is a grab-and-go pizza nook. The warmer, arranged directly next to the kitchen area, offers a place where shoppers can grab a pie.
Made-to-order pizza had already been on the menu before the new format opened, but the grab-and-go area enables customers to grab a pie without waiting for it to be prepared.
Another new foodservice area is Sweet Treats Bakery, which aimed to give Freshies’ baked goods program a “real identity of its own,” said McCauley in April.
Now, the baked goods are in their own branded corner. That branding extends to the packaging, giving the whole program its own, unified look. And the retailer is looking to grow the program.
“While customers have long enjoyed favorites such as whoopie pies, cookies, and muffins, we are now expanding our offerings to include a wider selection of freshly made bakery items,” said Tracy. “As the program evolves, we look forward to building on our tradition of bakery excellence while introducing new products that strengthen our connection with the communities we serve.”
Although Freshies used to have a vendor-branded roller grill setup, the retailer decided to bring that program in house.
The space got its own branding — Frankly Fresh Hot Dogs — and includes not only the roller grill but also space for the condiments so customers can build their own hot dogs.
The new site also features a food bar that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, soups and protein options. While the food bar predates the new design, it performed well so it made sense to carry through to the new design, said McCauley.
Tracy noted that the food bar — one of the largest of its kind in Freshie’s network — gave the retailer another flexible way to offer fresh foods to its customers.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with customers embracing both the variety and quality of the offerings,” said Tracy.
The approach even extended to the lot design, with the fuel canopy’s updated placement off to the side meant to emphasize the c-store as a food-first destination, McCauley noted.
“The cashier was also deliberately separated from foodservice to give the food programs room to stand on their own,” he said.
