SMALL IS THE NEW BIG: UNDERSTANDING AND LEVERAGING THE GROWTH OF SMALL STORES

Eurasia & Africa, 2018

Small self-service stores are growing across the 85 countries of Eurasia & Africa, with double digit rates of unit increase in Turkey and Russia during the past few years. The growth of small self-service stores is partly a response to five megatrends: urbanisation, household size, women in the workforce, the rise of eating out and smartphone penetration, which have supported growing consumer demand for faster and more convenient shopping experiences. At the same time, retail investment and innovation has led to a more attractive small store shopping experience offering a range of choices that are more appealing to shoppers. This report explores and defines the essential elements of shopper loyalty across a wide range of small self-service formats in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Considering the essential elements of success, this report features the views of industry experts and small store super shoppers as it considers the future shape of small stores. Looking at the present and the future, this report concludes by offering retailers a methodology for assessing the relative position of small store concepts that they may operate today or develop for the future.