Caltex store launch – The Foodary

Eating fresh, healthy food on-the-go and doing chores,like laundry and parcel pick up, just got easier for motorists with ‘The Foodary’ opening its doors this week in Sydney’s inner western suburb of Concord.

National fuel retailer Caltex Australia developed the new-look store, transforming the former Caltex Star Mart into a food and services convenience hub for the thirty thousand commuters who use Parramatta Road each day.

As well as being a refuelling stop, the store offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options to go, locally roasted barista-made coffee and goods from local businesses such as meal kits by The Corner Store and baked goods from artisan bakers, Brasserie Bread.

To help motorists back on the road quicker, an app will be available to The Foodary customers where they can refill and pay for fuel on-the-go, without going in-store.

It also gives customers the option to pre-order food before re-fuelling, so they can easily and quickly collect food at the counter.

Services available at the store include a daily laundry service through Washem and ParcelPoint parcel pick-up.

Caltex Australia’s executive general manager commercial Bruce Rosengarten said The Foodary is a pilot store and the company’s first fuel and convenience site to sport the new brand name and store look and feel.

“First impressions count, and the first thing you’ll notice about The Foodary is that it doesn’t look or feel like a traditional petrol station,” he said.

“Everything from the modern interior design, layout, services and real food on offer will excite and surprise.”

***

C&I Week talked to Caltex general manager convenience development Helen Moore this morning to find out about the newly launched store.

What was the inspiration for the Foodary?

The Foodary is part of Caltex’s evolving retail convenience strategy. Aligned with Caltex’s overarching strategy, Freedom of Convenience, we want to meet the changing needs our customers wherever they are.

The Foodary is all about providing customers with a convenient experience in both food and services. We will provide barista coffee and food that’s real, fresh and easy to consume on-the-go or in-store, and services that help customers to get their errands done. With a focus on customer experience, the offerings will be digitally-enabled, providing a convenient and a seamless experience.

Did you glean any of that inspiration from other service stations in Sydney? What kind of on the ground research was done for this project?

Our research was global and covered everything from the store look and feel, food offer and through to how we’d integrate technology. We’re trialing an app, The Foodary, for both pre-ordering coffee and food, as well as allowing customers to pay for fuel at the pump. Every decision that was made always linked back to Caltex’s overarching business strategy, to provide our customers with the Freedom of Convenience.

What were the design constraints, requirements, brief given to your designers – Were you happy with the work?

We love The Foodary, and hope the unique experience is loved by our customers too. The store look and feel is modern and clean in design, it differs considerably to a traditional petrol station. One of the key design requirements was around stimulating the senses, where people can see, taste, smell, hear and feel the new offer.

What is the philosophy of The Foodary?

The Australian convenience industry is rapidly evolving and our goal is to meet the changing needs of consumers, wherever they are. We will continue to trial and test new products and services to ensure what we’re offering is what customers want.

We want to offer motorists a convenient experience where they can come in and have barista coffee and the choice of fresher and healthier food while they’re on-the-go, or simply do their chores.

When and where can we expect the next ‘The Foodary’ to roll out?

The Foodary is part of our evolving retail strategy with a number of pilot stores being rolled out throughout the year.

Is there a trial period for concord before you do that?

It’s an evolving convenience strategy and we will continue to trial and test new products and services to ensure what we’re offering is what consumers want.

How many stores does Caltex anticipate branding this way?

Again, it’s an evolving strategy. We will continue to bring new offers to our customers, and listen to their feedback on what they really want to deliver the freedom of convenience.