Spencer's Retail

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Spencer's Retail Limited

Type Subsidiary
Industry Retail
Founded 1996
Kolkata, West Bengal,
Headquarters
India
Number of locations 400 Across 60 Cities [1]
Number of employees 60,000+
Parent RP Sanjiv Goenka Group
Website spencersretail.com

Spencer's Retail is a chain of retail stores based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Spencer's is based on
the 'Food First' Format (it mainly offers fresh and packaged food). Many outlets though sport
multiple formats for retailing food, apparel, fashion, electronics, lifestyle products, music and
books. It is owned by the RPG Group, a major business house.

Contents
 1 Formats
 2 Key people
 3 Private Brands
o 3.1 Expansion
 4 See also
 5 References
 6 External links

Formats
Spencer's began operations as a retail chain in the early 1990s[2] in Southern India. Stores are
largely setup in one of 2 formats.

 Convenience stores, called Spencer’s

 Hypermarkets, called Spencer’s Hyper
In 2008, Spencer's opened its Largest Store in India in the eastern Indian metropolis of Kolkata.
The store is spread over 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2) and is located in the famous South City
Mall.

Key people
 Shashwat Goenka - Sector Head
 Mohit Kampani - Managing Director
 Vipin Bhandari - Deputy CEO
 Satya Srivastava - CFO
 Sandeep Gautam - Executive Director - Human Resource
 G Murali - Executive Director - Business Process
 Karthik Kuppusamy - VP - Supply Chain and IT

Private Brands
Spencer's boasts of a wide range of private brand products that encompasses both foods as well
as non-foods FMCG category. 'Spencer's smart choice' is the leading instore brand which has a
plethora of products ranging from juices, noodles, cookies,honey, Air freshner etc. Spencer's also
has the 'clean home' range of home improvement products and 'Tasty wonders' range of snacks
and impulse food range.Apart from this Spencers has very successfully launched its general
merchandize products under the brand name of MAROON which includes Non Stick, Hard
Anodized, Home Plastic and Foils.

Expansion

Retail chain Foodworld has been bought over by the RPG group. All stores will be re branded
under the Spencer's banner once formalities are completed...

See also
India portal

 Foodworld
 Namdhari's Fresh
 Spar (retailer)
 Big Bazaar

References
1.

 "RPG Spencers Profile".

 1.  "Spencer's website".

External links
 Official website
 The Economic Times

[hide]

 v
 t
 e

RPG Group
 RPG Group
 CESC Limited
 CEAT Limited
 KEC International
 Zensar Technologies
 Nitel
 RPG Life Sciences
Companies
 Spencer's Retail
 Foodworld
 Sa Re Ga Ma
 Harrisons Malayalam
 OPEN Magazine
 Firstsource

 R. P. Goenka
Notable  Harsh Goenka
People  Sanjeev Goenka

Categories:

 Hypermarkets
 Retail companies of India
 Supermarkets of India
 Companies based in Kolkata
 RPG Group
 Supav

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Convenience store
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Convenience stores)
"Party store" redirects here. For the Dirtbombs album, see Party Store (album).
"Corner shop" redirects here. For the British band, see Cornershop.
"Corner store" redirects here. For the convenience store chain, see CST Brands.

Interior of a Japanese convenience store.

A 7 Eleven convenience store in Japan.

A convenience store, c-store, small grocery store, bodega, mini-market or corner

shop/store, is a small store that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, snack foods,
candy, toiletries, soft drinks, tobacco products, and newspapers. Such stores may also offer
money order and wire transfer services. In some jurisdictions, corner stores are licensed to sell
alcohol, typically beer and wine. They differ from general stores and village shops in that they
are not in a rural location and are used as a convenient supplement to larger stores.

A convenience store may be part of a gas/petrol station. It may be located alongside a busy road,
in an urban area, or near a railway or railroad station or other transport hub. In some countries,
convenience stores have long shopping hours, some being open 24 hours.

Convenience stores usually charge significantly higher prices than conventional grocery stores or
supermarkets, as convenience stores order smaller quantities of inventory at higher per-unit
prices from wholesalers. However convenience stores make up for this with the convenience by
having longer opening hours, serving more locations, and having shorter cashier lines.[1]

Contents
 1 Merchandise
 2 Differences from supermarkets
 3 By country
o 3.1 Canada
o 3.2 Costa Rica
o 3.3 France
o 3.4 Indonesia
o 3.5 Japan
o 3.6 Malaysia
o 3.7 Mexico
o 3.8 New Zealand
o 3.9 Philippines
o 3.10 Singapore
 3.10.1 7-Eleven
 3.10.2 Cheers
o 3.11 Taiwan
o 3.12 United Kingdom
o 3.13 United States
  3.13.1 Crime
 4 Similar concepts
 5 See also
 6 References
 7 External links

Merchandise
This section does not cite any references (sources). Please help improve this section
by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (June 2009)

Various types exist, for example: liquor stores (off-licences—offies), mini-markets (mini-marts),
general stores or party stores. Typically junk food (sweets, ice-cream, soft drinks), lottery tickets,
newspapers and magazines are sold although merchandise varies widely from store to store.
Unless the outlet is a liquor store, the range of alcohol beverages is likely to be limited (i.e. beer
and wine) or non-existent. Most stores carry cigarettes and other tobacco products. Varying
degrees of food and grocery supplies are usually available, from household products, to
prepackaged foods like sandwiches and frozen burritos. Automobile-related items such as motor
oil, maps and car kits may be sold. Often toiletries and other hygiene products are stocked, as
well as feminine hygiene and contraception. Stores may carry apparel, home furnishings, and
CDs and DVDs. Some of these stores also offer money orders and wire transfer services.
Convenience stores that are near fishing destinations may carry live fishing bait as well as
fishing equipment and supplies. Convenience stores may also carry small appliances as well as
other household items such as coolers and back packs. Convenience stores have also been known
to carry candles, stationery, artwork and dishes.

Many convenience stores offer food ready to eat, such as breakfast sandwiches and other
breakfast food. Throughout Europe convenience stores now sell fresh French bread (or similar).
A process of freezing parbaked bread allows easy shipment (often from France) and baking in-
store. Some stores have a delicatessen counter, offering custom-made sandwiches and baguettes.
Others have racks offering fresh delivered or baked doughnuts from local doughnut shops. Some
stores have a self-service microwave oven for heating purchased food.

In the United States, some fast food chains offer a counter in convenience stores. Instead of
cooking food in the store, these counters offer a limited menu of items delivered several times a
day from a local branch of the restaurant. Convenience stores may be combined with other
services, such as general stores and pawn shops, a train station ticket counter, a post office
counter, or gasoline pumps. In Asian countries, like Japan or Taiwan, convenience stores are
more common because of the higher population density. They are found with gasoline and train
stations, but also can be stand-alone stores. Here, items like soft drinks or snacks are sold. Hot
dogs, sausages, hard boiled tea eggs, and fish cakes can be found in stores. Delicatessens are
absent, instead pre-made sandwiches can be bought. Non-food products like magazines are also
sold, but at a lesser extent. Many convenience stores also have a fountain that offers a variety of
beverages such as coffee, soft drinks and frozen beverages.
The smaller convenience stores typically have very few perishable items because it is not
economically viable to rotate perishable items frequently with such a low number of staff.
Smaller convenience stores also do not generate the business needed to sustain food spoilage
rates typical of grocery stores or supermarkets. As such, products with a long shelf life are the
rule unless a product is specifically aimed at attracting customers on the chance they may buy
something profitable too.

Differences from supermarkets

Personal care products at a FamilyMart convenience store

Although larger, newer convenience stores may have quite a broad range of items, the selection
is still limited compared to supermarkets, and in many stores only one or two choices are
available. Prices in a convenience store are often higher than those at a supermarket, mass
merchandise store, or auto supply store, as convenience stores order smaller quantities of
inventory at higher per-unit prices from wholesalers. However, there are some exceptions like
milk and fuel which are priced similar to larger stores, as convenience stores traditionally do
high volume in these goods and sometimes use them as loss leaders.[citation needed]

Product containers in a convenience store are often smaller with reduced product quantity, to
allow more products on the store shelves. This also reduces the apparent cost differences
between full size packaging in supermarkets. Smaller packaging also reduces waste when a
traveler such as a hotel guest does not want or is unable to carry leftover product with them when
they leave.

The average U.S. convenience store has a sales area of 2,768 square feet (257.2 m2). New stores
average about 2,800 square feet (260 m2) of sales area and about 1,900 square feet (180 m2) of
non-sales area—a nod to retailers recognizing the importance of creating destinations within the
store that require additional space—whether coffee islands, food service areas with seating or
financial services kiosks. Convenience stores also have expanded their offerings over the last few
years, with stores become part supermarket, restaurant, gas station and even a bank or drug store.
[2]

Convenience stores sell approximately 80 percent of the fuels purchased in the United States.[3]
In the US, the stores are sometimes the only stores and services near an interstate highway exit
where drivers can buy any kind of food or drink for miles. Most of the profit margin from these
stores comes from beer, liquor, and cigarettes.[citation needed] Although those three categories
themselves usually yield lower margins per item, the sales volume in these categories generally
makes up for it.[citation needed] Profits per item are much higher on deli items (bags of ice, chicken,
etc.), but sales are generally lower. In some countries, most convenience stores have longer
shopping hours, some being open 24 hours.

By country
Canada

Entrance of a Couche-Tard convenience store in Montreal, Quebec

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., which operates Couche-Tard, Provi-Soir, Dépanneur 7, Mac's

Convenience Stores and Beckers Milk, is the largest convenience store chain in Canada and
receives its products through Core-Mark International, a North American distribution company
specializing in fresh convenience.[4] Another large chain is Quickie Mart (whose name predates
the fictitious "Kwik-E-Mart" featured on The Simpsons). The world's largest convenience
retailer, 7-Eleven, has about 500 Canadian locations from British Columbia to Ontario.
Worldwide, the highest number of the chain's Slurpee beverages are sold in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
and the city has been given the title of the "Slurpee Capital of the World". Marketing itself as
"more than just a convenience store", there are over 260 Hasty Market locations throughout
Ontario, and Hasty Markets also exist in British Columbia.

Shoppers Drug Mart was originally a chain of pharmacies, but in recent years the retailer has
decreased its reliance on pharmaceutical sales and increase sales of what it calls "front of store"
items, such as food and cosmetics (by 2012, 51% of purchases came from non-pharmaceutical
items). Most of its expanded merchandish offerings compete directly with convenience stores.
Also, Shoppers has over 1000 stores including locations normally served by convenience stores;
while convenience stores tend to be found in smaller and older strip malls, Shoppers also has a
presence in larger and newer power centers alongside other big box retailers.[5] Consequently,
Shoppers has captured a significant share of the market in front store convenience; including
over-the-counter medications, seasonal products and everyday household essentials.[6] As a result
of the acquisition of Shoppers by supermarket operator Loblaw Companies, Shoppers has access
to Loblaw's supply chain which should ensure even lower prices relative to traditional
convenience stores.

In addition to chain convenience stores, there are also many independently owned convenience
stores in Canada.
Convenience stores are also commonly referred to as "corner stores", "mini-marts", or "variety
stores" in some regions of Canada. In the French-speaking province of Quebec, a convenience
store is known as a "dépanneur", or "dep" for short.[7] "Dépanneur" means literally "one who gets
you out of a jam".

Costa Rica

This section does not cite any references (sources). Please help improve this section
by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (August 2014)

In Costa Rica, family-owned and operated convenience stores called pulperías have been
common since the 1900s and there are many of those stores in every neighbourhood.

In the 2010s, modern convenience stores were introduced, mainly by the AMPM company.
Competitors launched brands such as Musmanni Mini Super (a chain of bakery stores promoted
to convenience stores), Vindi (operated by AutoMercado supermarket company), and Fresh
Market (operated by AMPM in a format appealing to prosperous neighborhoods).

France

In France, some convenience stores are referred to as "Arabe du coin[fr]" - "Arab of the corner".
These stores, not only owned by people coming from North Africa, stay open later than the other
"épiceries". This name could be considered as pejorative.

Indonesia

Convenience stores or in Indonesian "Mini market" are mostly scattered around the towns. Due
to local government constriction and rules, Convenience stores in Indonesia may only be built
usually 500 meters from nearest traditional market. In small city or rural areas, this means a
smaller area is available as profitable. As a result, convenience stores in rural areas are often
built side by side or at maximum within 50 meters of each other.

Local convenience store brands are Indomaret and Alfamart. Both targeting all public, where
imported brands like 7-Eleven, Circle K or Lawson are targeting big cities and cater to a lifestyle
more than "convenience". To be classified as a convenience store, the store should occupy no
more than 100 meters square of service area, on in some local residence, up to 250 m.

Indonesian government restrict convenience store license, so it can only be bought by franchisee,
using different name and different brand, or classifying it as cafeteria. A convenience store with
a cafeteria license is only allowed to sell maximum 10% of it service space for non
food/beverages product. This type of convenience store often puts some lawn chairs and desk as
a decoy in front of their stores, while offering the same range of products as a holder of a mini
market license.

Japan
A Lawson convenience store in Minamisoma, Fukushima

Convenience stores (コンビニエンスストア konbiniensu sutoa?), often shortened to konbini

(コンビニ?), developed tremendously in Japan. 7-Eleven Japan, while struggling to localize their
service in the 1970s to 1980s, evolved its point of sale-based business, until ultimately, Seven &
I Holdings Co., the parent company of 7-Eleven Japan, acquired 7-Eleven (US) from Southland
Corporation in 1991. Japanese-style convenience stores also heavily influenced those stores in
other Asian nations, such as Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and China.[8] Convenience stores
rely heavily on the point of sale. Customers' ages and gender, as well as tomorrow's weather
forecast, are important data. Stores place all orders on-line. As the store floor sizes are limited,
they have to be very careful in choosing what brands to sell. In many cases, several stores from
the same chain do business in neighboring areas. This strategy makes distribution to each store
cheaper, as well as making multiple deliveries per day possible. Generally, food goods are
delivered to each store two to five times a day from factories. Since products are delivered as
needed, stores do not need large stock areas.[9]

According to The Japan Franchise Association, as of August 2009 (data pertaining to the month
of July 2009), there are 42,345 convenience stores in Japan. 7-Eleven leads the market with
12,467 stores, followed by Lawson (9,562) and FamilyMart (7,604). Other operators include
Circle K Sunkus, Daily Yamazaki, Ministop, Am/Pm Japan (acquired by Family Mart in 2009),
ポプラ (Poplar (convenience store)), Coco Store and Seico Mart. Many items available in larger
supermarkets can be found in Japanese convenience stores, though the selection is usually
smaller. As well, the following additional services are also commonly available:

 Courier and postal service.

 Photocopying and fax service.
 Automated teller machines.
 Payment service for utilities and other bills and taxes.
 Ticket service for concerts, theme parks, airlines etc.
 Pre-paid cards for cellular phones.

Some stores also sell charging service for electronic money and ATM services for credit card or
consumer finance. Items not commonly sold include Slurpees, lottery tickets, car supplies, and
gasoline.[10]

In 1974, Japan had 1,000 convenience stores. In 1996, Japan had 47,000 convenience stores, and
the number was increasing by 1,500 annually. In 1996, in Japan there was one convenience store
for every 2,000 people, while in the United States there was one per 8,000 people. Peter Landers
of the Associated Press said that the computerized distribution system allows Japanese
convenience stores to stock a wider variety of products, allowing for them to be more
competitive in the marketplace. Because Japan has a lower crime rate, store owners are not
reluctant to keep stores open at late hours in the night, and customers are not reluctant to shop
during those times.[11]

Malaysia

In Malaysia, 7-Eleven had the market leader in convenience store, with 1,479 stores. Other
convenience stores in the country, includes KK Super Mart, Quick and Easy and MyMart
(owned by Mydin). Carrefour Express is also among one of the few convenience stores that had
been in existence in Malaysia in the past, but has since ceased operations.

Mexico

An Oxxo store

A family run Miscelánea

Oxxo is the largest chain in the country, with more than 9,000 stores around the country. Other
convenience stores, such as Tiendas Extra, 7-Eleven, SuperCity, ampm, are also found in
Mexico. The first convenience store in the country, Super 7 (now a 7-Eleven), was opened in
1976 in Monterrey, Nuevo León.[citation needed] There are also some regional chains, like Amigo
Express and CB Mas that operates in Comarca Lagunera, Super Q and El Matador in Queretaro,
Coyote in Central Mexico and JV in Northeastern Mexico. Stores sell fast food like coffee, hot-
dogs and nachos, cellphone refills between MXN$20 and MX$500, mainly Telcel and Movistar,
newspapers, magazines, and some of their sells Panini products and other novelties.

Misceláneas (lit. meaning "place where miscellaneous items are sold", and otherwise called
"tiendas de abarrotes" (grocery store) in some parts of the country) are smaller, family-run
convenience stores, often found in central and southern Mexico. They operate in many locations,
from rural communities to suburban residential neighborhoods, usually located in front of or
below the family's residence. They often fulfil the role of neighborhood meeting points and
places to disseminate community news. While offering a more limited, and sometimes varied,
assortment of items than corporate chains, they fill a void in many areas in which corporate
companies do not operate. Usually, they also sell home-made snacks, such as tortas and
sandwiches, made by the owners themselves. They also provide items in smaller quantities than
would be offered for sale in larger stores and markets, for example selling single cigarettes along
with full packs.[12]

New Zealand

See also: Dairy (store) and Superette

In New Zealand, convenience stores are commonly referred to as dairies and superettes. Dairies
in New Zealand are generally independently owned and operated. The use of the term dairy to
describe convenience stores was common in New Zealand by the late 1930s.[13] Dairies carved
out a niche in food retail by keeping longer trading hours than grocery stores and supermarkets –
dairies were exempt from labor laws restricting trading hours and Saturday trading. With the
deregulation of trading hours and in the wake of legislation in 1989 prohibiting sales of alcohol
by dairies, the distinction between dairies, superettes, and grocery stores has blurred in New
Zealand.[14]

Philippines

See also: Sari-sari store

There is a local version of convenience store in the Philippines, called the Sari-sari store which
are located on almost every street, corners, residential areas, and other public places.

Aside from the local convenience stores, other popular international convenience stores are
present on almost every streets especially in urban areas. 7-Eleven is the largest convenience
store chain in the country. It is run by the Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC). Its first store,
located in Quezon City, opened in 1984. Its branches are now approximately 1400.

Branches of Ministop, operated by the Robinsons Convenience Stores, Inc.; and FamilyMart,
operated and franchised by the joint partnership of Ayala Corporation and Rustans which are one
of the largest shopping mall operators in the Philippines.

Singapore

See also: Mama shop

Major convenience stores in Singapore are 7-Eleven owned by Dairy Farm International
Holdings and Cheers owned by NTUC Fairprice.[15] Figures from the Singapore Department of
Statistics showed that there are 338 7-Eleven stores and 91 Cheers outlets in 2004.[16] Other
convenience stores such as Myshop and One Plus appeared in 1983. Myshop belongs to a
Japanese company, and One Plus belongs to Emporium Holdings.[17]
Various reasons unique to Singapore have been given for the great popularity of convenience
stores there. Convenience stores sell a wide range of imported goods, whereas minimarts and
provision shops sell local products with a limited range of non-Asian products.[15] Convenience
stores are situated within housing estates thus reducing consumers' traveling time. Most families
in Singapore are dual-income families.[18] Since both the husband and wife are working, there is
greater need for convenience in shopping for daily necessities. The 24-hour opening policy
allows convenience stores to reach out to a larger group of consumers. Firstly, the policy caters
to the shopping needs of consumers who work shifts or have irregular working hours.[19]
Secondly, the policy caters to the increasing number of Singaporeans who are keeping late
nights. It was reported that 54% of Singaporeans stayed up past midnight in an economic review
by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) in 2005.[20]

7-Eleven

Main article: 7-Eleven

A 7-Eleven store under a block of apartments

7-Eleven began the trend of convenience stores in Singapore when it opened its first store in
1982 by Jardine Matheson Group, under a franchise agreement with Southland Corporation of
the United States.[21] Dairy Farm International Holdings acquired the chain from Jardine
Matheson Group in 1989.[22]

The number of 7-Eleven outlets continued to increase in 1984 while other chains were having
difficulty in expanding. One Plus was unable to expand due to the shortage of good sites. The
original owners of the Myshop franchise, which had seven outlets, sold out to one of its suppliers
due to a lack of demand.[21]

However, in 1985, 7-Eleven faced difficulty in finding favourable locations and failed to meet its
one-store-a-month target. The situation improved in 1986 with a new Housing Development
Board (HDB) tendering system, which allowed 7-Eleven to secure shops without having to bid
too high a price.[23] 7-Eleven stores are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,
including Sundays and public holidays.[24] This 24/7 policy was seen as the reason that gave 7-
Eleven its edge over its competitors.
In 1990, there was a rise in the number of shop thefts in 7-Eleven. The shoplifters were usually
teenagers who stole small items such as chocolates, cigarettes and beer.[25] In response to the
increase in the number of thefts, 7-Eleven stepped up security measures, which successfully
lowered the crime rate by 60%[26]

Cheers

Notice posted at Cheers to deter robbery

Cheers is owned by local corporation NTUC Fairprice, started in 1999.[27] Cheers has adopted 7-
Eleven's 24/7 model and taken similar security measures to prevent cases of shop lifting.
Convenience store owners seeking franchising seem to prefer Cheers over 7-Eleven, probably
due to its cheaper franchise fee.[28]

Taiwan

With the highest 7-Eleven outlet density in the world, it is not an unusual scene seeing two 7-
Eleven shops stand face to face in a same intersection in Taiwan. The distance between them
might be less than 50 meters.

Boasting more than 10,000 convenience stores in an area of 35,980 km2 and a population of 23
million, Taiwan has Asia Pacific's and perhaps the world's highest density of convenience stores
per person: one store per 2,500 people (convenience store - Wikipedia, October 2007). With
4,665 7-Eleven stores, Taiwan also has the world's highest density of 7-Elevens per person: one
store per 4,930 people (International Licensing page of 7-Eleven website). In Taipei, it is not
unusual to see two 7-Elevens across the street or several of them within a few hundred meters of
each other.
Because they are found everywhere, convenience stores in Taiwan provide services on behalf of
financial institutions or government agencies such as collection of city parking fees, utility bills,
traffic violation fines, and credit card payments. Eighty percent of urban household shoppers in
Taiwan visit a convenience store each week (2005 ACNielsen ShopperTrends).

United Kingdom

See also: List of Convenience stores of the United Kingdom

A typical British independently owned and traded corner shop, as modelled on the street of the
fictional ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street, set in Manchester

A modern British corner shop, within the Best-One franchise chain

The corner shop in the United Kingdom grew from the start of the industrial revolution, with
large populations moving from the agricultural countryside to newly built model townships and
later terraced housing in towns and cities. The corner shops were locally owned small businesses,
started by entrepreneurs who had often had other careers before taking on the large start-up
capital requirement required to establish such a trading business. Many well known high street
retail brands, such as Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's and latterly Tesco, originated during the
Victorian era as simple family owned corner shops.

The reign of the corner shop and the weekly market started to fade post–World War II, with the
combination of the personal motor car and the introduction from the 1950s of the American-
originated supermarket format. The market shift in price and convenience lead to the
establishment of common trading brands operating as virtual franchises to win back the
consumer, including Budgens, Costcutter, Londis, Nisa and SPAR. There was also a
consolidation of some shops under some larger corporate-owned brands, including One Stop and
RS McColl.
The primary competition to this privately owned 'corner shop' model came from the network of
consumer co-operatives which were created after the success of that created by the Rochdale
Society of Equitable Pioneers in 1844. Rather than being owned by individuals, these shops were
owned by their customer-members and, owing to their popularity, the number of co-operative
stores had reached 1,439 by 1900. [29] Co-operatives came about as a response to the problem of
adulterated food which existed at the time and later they enabled members to buy types of food
that they would otherwise be unable to afford. At their peak in the 1950s, consumers' co-
operatives accounted for approximately 20% [30] of the UK grocery market, however with
increasing competition this has decreased to around 6% in 2015. Due to a number of mergers
over the years, the grocery co-operative sector in the UK is now predominately composed of the
national The Co-operative Group and a few large regional co-operative societies such as the
Midcounties Co-operative and Scotmid. Today, the majority of food retailing co-operatives
societies brand their convenience stores as The Co-operative Food and together they form the
second largest convenience store chain in the UK and the largest by number of stores, with one
in every UK postal code.[31]

From the late 1960s onwards, many such stores started to be owned by expatriate African-born
Indians, expelled from their countries by the newly independent countries rulers. Under the
Shops Act 1950, Sunday trading had been illegal for most traders, with exceptions only allowed
for small stores selling perishable items (i.e.: milk, bread, butter, fresh meat and vegetables), and
most shops that were not off licences had to close at 8 pm. However, the Sunday Trading Act
1994 allowed large format stores over 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) to open on a Sunday and
later extended to 24/7 opening, which has drastically cut the number of convenience and corner
shops.[32]

In more recent time, due to a combination of competition laws and a lack of large-scale
development space, many of the larger retail brands have now developed shop formats based
around convenience store and corner shop scale spaces, including Sainsbury's Local and Tesco
Express.

United States

In-store convenience store sales grew 2.4%, reaching a record $195.0 billion. Combined with
$486.9 billion in motor fuels sales, total convenience store sales in 2011 were $681.9 billion, or
one out of every 22 dollars of the overall $15.04 trillion U.S. gross domestic product.[33] In New
York City, "bodega" has come to mean any convenience store or deli.[34]

The first chain convenience store in the United States was opened in Dallas, Texas in 1927 by
the Southland Ice Company, which eventually became 7-Eleven, the largest convenience store
chain.[35] Stores connected to a service station developed into a trend, celebrated by some
progressive architects:

In the gasoline service station may be seen the beginning of an important advance agent of decentralization by
way of distribution and also the beginning of the establishment of the Broadacre City. Wherever the service
station happens to be naturally located, these now crude and seemingly insignificant units will grow and
expand into various distributing centers for merchandise of all sorts. They are already doing so in the
Southwest to a great extent.
Frank Lloyd Wright, The Disappearing City, 1932

In 1939,[36] a dairy owner named J.J. Lawson started a store at his dairy plant near Akron, Ohio,
to sell his milk. The Lawson's Milk Company grew to a chain of stores, primarily in Ohio.[36]
Circle K, another large company-owned convenience store chain, was founded in 1951. Since
that time many different convenience store brands have developed, and their stores may either be
corporate-owned or franchises. The items offered for sale tend to be similar despite store brand,
and almost always include milk, bread, soft drinks, cigarettes, phone cards, coffee, slushees,
candy bars, Twinkies, Slim Jims, hot dogs, ice cream, candy, gum, lip balm, chips, pretzels,
popcorn, beef jerky, doughnuts, maps, magazines, newspapers, small toys, car supplies, feminine
hygiene products, cat food, dog food, and toilet paper. Other less common items include
sandwiches, pizza, and frozen foods. Nearly all convenience stores also have an automated teller
machine (ATM), though other banking services are usually not available. State lottery tickets are
also available at these stores.

In 1966, the U.S. convenience store industry first recorded $1 billion in sales. By the end of the
decade, the industry had recorded $3.5 billion a year in sales. By the late 1960s, the amount of
24-hour convenience stores increased to meet the needs of a younger population and people who
were working late night or early morning shifts. Not surprisingly, the first 24-hour store opened
in Las Vegas in 1963.

Some convenience stores in the United States also sell gasoline. Only 2,500 stores had self-serve
at the pump by 1969. It was not until the 1970s that retailers realized selling gasoline could be
profitable—and competitive.[37] In 2011, there were approximately 47,195 gas stations with
convenience stores that generated $326 billion in revenue. Out of those over 3,008 of the gas
stations had gas station TV installed at the gas station pumps.[38]

Policies regarding the sale of adult magazines vary, but generally larger chains (such as 7-Eleven
and Casey's General Stores) do not sell these items, while smaller independent stores may do so.
One notable exception to this "rule" is fast-growing regional chain Sheetz, which does sell some
soft-core pornographic material such as Playboy (including its various "special" issues),
Penthouse, and Playgirl.

Because the laws regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages vary from state to state in the United
States, the availability of beer, wine, and liquor varies greatly. For example, while convenience
stores in Alaska, Pennsylvania and New Jersey cannot sell any kind of alcohol at all, stores in
Nevada, New Mexico, and California may sell alcoholic beverages of any sort, while stores in
Virginia, Idaho, or Oregon can sell beer and wine, but not liquor. Similar to grocery stores,
convenience stores in New York can sell beer only, not wine or liquor. Altoona, Pennsylvania–
based Sheetz tried to find a loophole in 2007 by classifying part of one of their prototype stores
in Altoona as a restaurant, which would permit alcohol sales.[39] However, state courts in
Pennsylvania promptly overruled this. State law requires restaurants to have on-site
consumption, but Sheetz did not do this.[40] Sheetz continues to sell alcohol in other states.

Crime
Main article: Convenience store crime

American convenience stores are often direct targets of armed robbery. In some areas of the
United States, it is not unusual for clerks to be working behind bulletproof glass windows, even
during daylight hours. Some convenience stores may even limit access inside at night, requiring
customers to approach a walk-up window specifically for such situations to make purchases. The
main dangers are that almost all convenience stores only have one person working night shift,
most of the transactions are in cash, and easily resold merchandise, such as liquor, lottery tickets,
and cigarettes are on site.

Most convenience stores have a cash drop slot into a time-delay safe so clerks may limit the
amount of cash on hand. Many have installed security cameras to help deter robberies and
shoplifting. Because of their vulnerability to crime, nearly all convenience stores have a friendly
relationship with the local police. To reduce burglaries when the convenience store is closed,
some convenience stores will have bars on the windows.

Similar concepts
Convenience stores to some extent replaced the old-fashioned general store. They are similar but
not identical to Australian milk bars. In Britain, corner shops in towns and village shops in the
countryside served similar purposes and were the precursors to the modern European
convenience store (e.g. SPAR). In the Canadian province of Quebec, dépanneurs (often referred
to as "deps" in English) are often family-owned neighbourhood shops that serve similar
purposes. Truck stops, also known as "travel centers", combine a shop offering similar goods
with a convenience store with amenities for professional drivers of semi-trailer trucks. This may
include fast food restaurants, showers and facilities for buying large quantities of diesel fuel. The
equivalent in Europe is the motorway service station.

Neighborhood grocery stores not big enough to be considered a supermarket often compete with
convenience stores. For example, in Los Angeles, CA, a local chain operates neighborhood
grocery stores that fill a niche between a traditional supermarket and convenience store. Because
they stock fresh fruit and fresh meat and carry upwards of 5000 items, they have a lot in common
with the supermarket. Due to the relatively small store size, customers can get in and out
conveniently, or have purchases delivered. In Brussels, Belgium, convenience stores are known
as night shops.

See also
 List of convenience stores

 National Association of Convenience Stores

 General store
 Take a penny, leave a penny
 Charging station
 Filling station
  Types of retail outlets

References
1.

 Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation By Amy Brown

  Convenience Stores Offer More Convenience
  Fueling America: A Snapshot of Key Facts and Figures
  "Couche-Tard and Core-Mark to join UGI". Canadian Grocer.
  Shoppers Drug Mart exploring opportunity between food and pharma | Canadian Grocer
  Our Central Office
  Faculty: Charles Boberg | Linguistics - McGill University[dead link]
  Top Ten Convenience Stores Around the World
  NIPPONIA No.19 December 15, 2001
  Complete guide to Japanese convenience stores
  Landers, Peter. "Japan has a high-tech take on the convenience store". Associated Press
at the Warsaw Times-Union. Saturday July 27, 1996. 10C. Retrieved from Google News (14/39)
on January 1, 2011.
  Merino, María; Mondragón, Carlos. "Las misceláneas en México". Strategic Direction
& Planning, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (in Spanish).
  Cryer, Max (2010). The Godzone Dictionary: Of Favourite New Zealand Words and
Phrases. Auckland: Exisle Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 0908988745.
  "8 New criteria for selling takeaway alcohol". Alcohol In Our Lives: Curbing the Harm
(PDF). New Zealand Law Commission. April 2010. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-877316-91-3. Retrieved
8 January 2012.
  Price Waterhouse Coopers. (2005/2006). Singapore. From Beijing to Budapest: Winning
Brands, Winning Formats, 4, p. 189.
  "Upstart Mini-marts". (2006, October 22). The Sunday Times.
  "Convenience Stores Pose Threat to Supermarkets". (1984, March 23). The Business
Times.
  Loh, Choon-Min James. (1988). The Adoption of A Retailing Innovation in A Newly
Industrialising Country: The Modernisation of Local Provision Shops in Singapore. United
Kingdom: The British Library, p. 61.
  "Can 24-hr marts thrive in S'pore?" (2005, May 15). The Straits Times.
  Price Waterhouse Coopers. (2005/2006). Singapore. From Beijing to Budapest: Winning
Brands, Winning Formats, 4, p. 193.
  "The Business Times reports that in Singapore chains of mini-markets (or convenience
stores) have rapidly sprung up to fill the gap between the large supermarkets and the
neighbourhood stores (or provision shops). (1984, November 15). Business Times Singapore.
  "Dairy Farm reviewing 7-Eleven businesses in Singapore and Malaysia". (April 12,
1989). Business Times Singapore.
  "The 7-Eleven convenience store chain in Singapore, the franchise of which is held by
Jardine Matheson, should nearly double its expected rate of opening one new store each month
by the end of the year." (November 5, 1986). Business Times Singapore.
  Loh, Choon-Min James. (1988). The Adoption of A Retailing Innovation in A Newly
Industrialising Country: The Modernisation of Local Provision Shops in Singapore. United
Kingdom: The British Library, p. 34.
  "Convenience stores hit regularly by 'grabbers'". (1990, May 4). The Straits Times.
  "Chain stores' anti-crime moves pay off with 60% drop in crime rate". (1991, December
1). The Straits Times.
  "NTUC Link Pte. Ltd. (2005). Cheers. [Online]. Available:
http://www.linkpoints.com.sg/linkpoints/merchants/merchant_subdetail.aspx?id=73"
  "7-Eleven: Growing and getting closer to you". (2004, June 19). The Straits Times.
  http://www.co-operative.coop/corporate/aboutus/ourhistory/
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5294184.stm
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32715723
  "Asian corner shops are in decline". Daily Mail (London).
  Convenience Store Sales Topped $680 Billion in 2011
  Knafo, Saki (March 29, 2009). "The Classic Bodega Takes a Star Turn". The New York
Times.
  "7-Eleven world's largest chain store". Japan News Review. July 12, 2007. Archived
from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  Dairy Mart Uncovers Piece of History. Originally published in Convenience Store News,
16 April 2002. Retrieved from AllBusiness.com, 19 December 2007. Archived February 29,
2012 at the Wayback Machine
  1960s: Developing Critical Mass
  Gas Stations with Convenience Stores Market Research Report | NAICS 44711 | Dec
2011
  Sheetz, Inc. Announces Alcohol Sales in Pennsylvania

1.  kdka.com - Court Rules Against Beer In Convenience Store Archived

February 14, 2012 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Convenience stores.

 Convenience Store News (convenience store industry trade publication and online news
source)
 Convenience Store Decisions (convenience store industry trade publication)
 cstore life magazine (The official publication of the Canadian Convenience Stores
Association)
 Australian Convenience Store News (industry trade publication)
 NACS, the Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing
 Convenience Central (convenience store industry trade publications, event and news
source)

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Hypermarket
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Hypermarkets)

Packaged food aisles at a Fred Meyer hypermarket in Portland, Oregon

In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store.

The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof,
including full groceries lines and general merchandise. In theory, hypermarkets allow customers
to satisfy all their routine shopping needs in one trip.
Contents
 1 Overview
 2 History
o 2.1 United States
o 2.2 Europe
o 2.3 Future
 3 Success
 4 Warehouse club
 5 See also
 6 Notes
 7 External links

Overview

Asian hypermarket in the Philippines, a branch of SM Hypermarket in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay,

Metro Manila was an example.

Hypermarkets, like other big-box stores, typically have business models focusing on high-
volume, low-margin sales. A typical Walmart Supercenter covers anywhere from 150,000 sq ft
(14,000 m2) to 235,000 sq ft (21,800 m2) and a typical Carrefour covers 20,000 m2
(220,000 sq ft). They generally have more than 200,000 different brands of merchandise
available at any one time. Because of their large footprints, many hypermarkets choose suburban
or out-of-town locations that are easily accessible by automobile.

History
United States

The Pacific Northwest chain Fred Meyer, now a division of the Kroger supermarket company,
opened the first suburban one-stop shopping center in 1931 in the Hollywood District of
Portland, Oregon. The store's innovations included a grocery store alongside a drugstore plus off-
street parking and an automobile lubrication and oil service. In 1933, men's and women's wear
was added, and automotive department, housewares, and other nonfood products followed in
succeeding years. In the mid 1930s, Fred Meyer opened a central bakery, a candy kitchen, an ice
cream plant, and a photo-finishing plant, which supplied the company's stores in Portland and
neighbouring cities with house brands such as Vita Bee bread, Hocus Pocus desserts, and Fifth
Avenue candies. By the 1950s, Fred Meyer began opening stores that were 45,000 sq ft
(4,200 m2) to 70,000 sq ft (6,500 m2), and the 1960s saw the first modern-sized Fred Meyer
hypermarkets.[1]

The Midwest chain Meijer, which today operates some 190 stores in five US states and calls the
hypermarket format "supercenter",[2] opened its first such "supercenter" in Grand Rapids,
Michigan, in June 1962, under the brand name "Thrifty Acres".[3][4]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the three major US discount store chains – Walmart, Kmart
and Target – started developing hypermarkets. Wal-Mart (as it was known before its late-2000s
rebranding as Walmart) introduced Hypermart USA in 1987, followed by Wal-Mart Supercenter
in 1988;[5] Kmart opened its first Super Kmart (originally called Kmart Super Center) in 1991;[6]
and Target came with the first Target Greatland stores in 1990, followed by the larger
SuperTarget stores in 1995.[7] Most Greatland stores have since been converted to SuperTarget
stores, while some have been converted into regular Target stores with the exception of 2
entrances (like the Antioch, California location).

In the early 1990s, US hypermarkets also began selling fuel. The idea was first introduced in the
1960s, when a number of supermarket chains and retailers like Sears tried to sell fuel, but it
didn't generate sufficient consumer interest at the time. Today there are approximately 4,500
hypermarket stores in the US selling fuel, representing an estimated 14 billion US gallons
(53,000,000 m3) sold each year.[8]

Europe

The first European hypermarket is commonly mistaken to be the Carrefour store that opened in
1963, at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, France,[9] However, the Belgian retailer Grand Bazar
preceded Carrefour by two years when it opened three hypermarkets in a short span in 1961
under the name Super Bazar after Belgian law restricting the size of department stores was
abolished in 1960. The first Super Bazar opened in Bruges on 9 September 1961. However the
larger stores that opened a week later in Auderghem, and a month later in Anderlecht (both in
Brussels), are regarded as more proper hypermarkets that brought the concept to fruition.[10]

Future

Despite its success, the hypermarket business model may be under threat from on-line shopping
and the shift towards customization according to analysts like Sanjeev Sanyal, Deutsche Bank's
Global Strategist.[11] Sanyal has also argued that some developing countries such as India may
even skip the hypermarket stage and directly go online.[12]

Success
The produce section of a typical Walmart Supercenter (Walmart's hypermarket brand) in Mexico

After the successes of super- and hyper-markets and amid fears that smaller stores would be
forced out of business, France enacted laws that made it more difficult to build hypermarkets and
also restricted the amount of economic leverage that hypermarket chains can impose upon their
suppliers (the Loi Galland).

In France, hypermarkets are generally situated in shopping centers (French: centre commercial
or centre d'achats) outside of cities, though some are present in the city center. They are
surrounded by extensive car parking facilities, and generally by other specialized superstores that
sell clothing, sports gear, automotive items, etc.

In Japan, hypermarkets may be found in urban areas as well as less populated areas. The
Japanese government encourages hypermarket installations, as mutual investment by financial
stocks are a common way to run hypermarkets. Japanese hypermarkets may contain restaurants,
Manga (Japanese comic) stands, Internet cafes, typical department store merchandise, a full
range of groceries, beauty salons and other services all inside the same store. A recent[when?] trend
has been to combine the dollar store concept with the hypermarket blueprint, giving rise to the
"hyakkin plaza"—hyakkin (百均) or hyaku en (百円) means 100 yen (roughly 1 US dollar).

Warehouse club
Main article: Warehouse club

Another category of stores sometimes included in the hypermarket category is the membership-
based wholesale warehouse clubs that are popular in North America, pioneered by Fedco and
today including Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart; Costco, in which Carrefour has a small
ownership percentage;[13] BJ's Wholesale Club on the East Coast; and Clubes City Club in
Mexico. In Europe, Makro (owned by METRO AG) leads the market.

However, warehouse clubs differ from hypermarkets in that they have sparse interior decor and
require paid membership.
See also
Business and economics portal

 Big-box store
 List of hypermarkets
 Types of retail outlets

Notes
1.

 FundingUniverse: Fred Meyer Stores, Inc. History Linked 2014-01-09

  Meijer website: Our Company Linked 2014-01-09
  Meijer website: Our History Linked 2014-01-09
  "Column: Meijer's first Supercenter past its prime but full of good memories".
MLive.com. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  "Walmart Corporate - We save people money so they can live better.". Retrieved 30 July
2015.
  "Sears Holdings Corporation - Corporate Website". Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  Target website: Target through the years Linked 2014-01-09
  The History of Gasoline Retailing
  Jean-Mark Villermet, Naissance de l'hypermarche, 1991, ISBN 2-200-37263-9, Colin
(publisher).
  "Brussels Studies". Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  "Sanjeev Sanyal on The Customization Revolution - Project Syndicate". Project
Syndicate. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  "Sanjeev Sanyal on Clicks over Bricks in India - Project Syndicate". Project Syndicate.
Retrieved 30 July 2015.

1.  Robert Spector, "Carrefour enters U.S. via share in Costco", Supermarket

News, January 1985.

External links
 Media related to Supermarkets at Wikimedia Commons
 Hypermarket at Encyclopædia Britannica

Categories:

 Distribution, retailing, and wholesaling

 Hypermarkets
 Retailing
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Page Info

 Start Date

Started in 1863

 Address

Kolkata, India

 Hours

Mon-Sun: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

 Short Description

Welcome to Spencer's Retail Official Facebook Page. Like us for the latest offers, deals
and to share your views.

 Long Description

Founded by Mr. John William Spencer in 1863, Spencer’s Retail moved into Indian
ownership in the 1960s, and became part of the RPG Group in 1989. The first modern
trade grocery retailer in India. Spencer’s introduced India to the concept of organized
retailing and became the country’s first grocery chain back in 1920. Spencer’s is a ‘food-
first’ retailer offering both fresh and packaged foods as well as groceries. In addition to
food, a wide selection of electronics and electrical equipment, home and office essentials,
garments and fashion accessories, toys, and personal care are also to be found in a
Spencer’s retail outlet. To the consumer, it carries the promise of the widest possible
assortment of quality products delivered at affordable prices. This is aptly captured in
Spencer’s credo which is ‘Makes Fine Living Affordable’

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Like Spencer’s and stay up to date with the latest offers, prices and delights. Share with
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