Storrd: How a new premium convenience store is redefining British speciality retail

In food and drink retail, convenience is king – you only have to look at the size and growth in the FMCG market to understand this.

But convenience doesn’t have to mean poor quality. In fact, in a climate where consumers are more keenly aware of UPFs and the impact of what they eat on their health, retailers and brands are having to respond – and quickly.

Putting a fresh spin on what convenience could look like in the future is Storrd, which opened less than two months ago in London’s Camden – positioning itself as a challenger in the sector, with its premium ‘actually convenient’ retail offering.

Combining boots-on-the-ground customer-staff conversations with data and leading tech has already, in a short space of time, fostered a sense of good will in the community, and this testing ground will serve as an incubator for the growth of the brand – with a second store already in the works.

What inspired the creation of Storrd?

The idea for Storrd has been brewing for nearly two years, says managing director Rachel Andre. “It’s a really interesting set up actually. We have a backer, the venture capital fund, Mount Group, and they wanted to go into grocery. They were predominantly invested in tech, and this was an opportunity to explore retail. They started to look at what other countries were doing, and saw convenience was a very international thing. You had all these delis and bodegas and concepts in the USA and Asia, but there’s nothing quite like them here.”

British convenience shopping has largely consisted, she adds, of mini versions of supermarkets, corner shops, or (in more affluent areas) perhaps a Planet Organic or Whole Foods Market. “But nothing in the middle. They thought, ‘why can’t we set up a team in the UK to look at this opportunity?’.”

And the rest is history.

What is the aspiration for Storrd?

The vision, continues Rachel, is to be a one-stop-shop that feels bright, beautiful and modern, but where the position on pricing is flexible and all-encompassing, with something for everyone. “We don’t want people to come in and only find super fancy brands and things that are really expensive – it’s all about choice really.”

So whether customers want a jar of Bold Beans or a tin of Heinz, a packet of Haribos or Neat Sweets – their needs are met.

Why was Camden chosen as the first location for Storrd?

As with any new business, you don’t really know what you’re letting yourself in for until you open the doors and welcome in the public. Who will your customers be? What will they like/not like? Rachel says much of what they had in place for opening day was based on assumptions, but following significant research. The team felt, thanks to its melting pot of cultures and different types of people – from residents, to office workers, local construction workers, and slightly more affluent consumers just over the bridge at Primrose hill – Camden would be a great testing ground for the Storrd concept.

And they’ve been proved right, says Rachel. “It’s really interesting. In the morning you have local residents – we’ve got a regular couple who come in every day for their coffee – but we also have office workers coming down for lunch, and construction workers who like our hot lunches because they’re really hearty and filling.”

What does modern convenience shopping look like at Storrd and why do the team think this sector needs shaking up?

There’s a wealth of convenience on every high street, says Storrd marketing lead, Kyle Meeser, but the experience, typically, isn’t that great. From Storrd’s research, they found customers generally consider convenience shops as a last resort – the experience is overwhelming, there’s not much breathing space, settings could be lighter or cleaner.

“We wanted to do things in a totally different way,” he explains. “A lot of convenience stores have the same look. We wanted to do something new that delights people with cool brands, and offering a hot food counter, so you can get a nutritious meal when you pop in to get your bin bags.”

Tech is something that’s been highly considered too, Kyle adds, with electronic pricing, for example, giving Storrd more flexibility and reactivity. “So if the weather changes we can changes the prices on ice cream or wine if we want to.”

Capturing the hearts of the community had to be factored in too. “Taking that element of your corner store where you get to know the guy who works there, whether you’re picking up a parcel or getting milk. We wanted to make a lot of effort to get to know the local community and residents and that allows us to improve our store and selection.”

What’s the experience of shopping at Storrd?

From the moment you walk in the door it feels very different from the norm, says Rachel. You’re greeted by a contemporary setting, and immediately by fresh produce and high-quality food-to-go. “In convenience, you might run in because you need a lemon, and it’s not always the best quality, but we have a lovely fruit and veg offering. On the left, we’ve got the hot meal counter. You can get things like harissa chicken with some chorizo beans on the side, a salad, a soup, our fresh sourdough from Seven Seeded bakery, and an amazing breakfast offer. We’re doing coffee and a pastry for £4.99, which is incredibly competitive in the area.” New, hot breakfast options are being added too.

The food counter and food-to-go are a critical part of what sets Storrd apart, continues Rachel. “We want to do amazing meal deals and dine-in deals. We think of ourselves as customers. If you go into a store and see ‘dine-in for two’, perhaps you don’t want sticky toffee pudding – you might want a Tony Chocolonely instead. We’re looking at what people actually want and we’re going to evolve that offering over time.”

As we’ve already said, technology, and being creative with what’s achievable using modern systems, is central to the customer experience at Storrd, with both Rachel and Kyle saying they want people’s interactions with the business to feel seamless, whether they’re popping in, or shopping remotely.

“By the end of February we will launch out Whatsapp click and collect and delivery service,” Rachel says. “Now many chains have apps, so if you’re out walking and think, ‘I’m going to order a coffee’, you can go to the app and pay on the way. It’s OK, but we thought, what if you could go to where people are? 

“With Whatsapp, I could be walking down the street and message Storrd saying, ‘Hey Storrd, I’ll be there in five minutes, can you make me a coffee?’.”

An AI agent will ask if you want the same order as last time, reveal any special bakes or offers of the day you might want to add, and can even put other items onto your list, so they’re waiting for you when you arrive. “It’s that extreme convenience – people can just pop in and out!”

Loyalty has been thought about too. “When you go to Tesco, which has an amazing club card, you have to take it out and scan it,” says Rachel. “We don’t want that. If you’re a loyal customer, the system should know you’re a loyal customer and update your points automatically.” At Storrd if you pay by Apple Pay or Google Wallet, your loyalty is updated on the spot. And these elements are just the start of what the Storrd team want to achieve, with Rachel saying they a looking at options to build the best self-checkout experience possible in London.

“I find it mind-blowing that people have to learn how to use a self-checkout every time they go to a different shop,” Rachel says. “The experience is not consistent. We want to make it intuitive, so nobody has to think about anything!”

What are the key lines and hero brands so far at Storrd?

Trends and products the team expected to be a hit have, thankfully, resonated with their customers, with functional drinks – from kombucha to natural energy drinks – as well as high-protein foods striking a chord.

They offer, says Rachel, a good mix. A blend of quirky, start-up brands, and nostalgic, known, household names.

Kyle picks out Other Foods (maker of crispy mushroom snacks) as a line that’s going down well. “They’re amazing and sit well with our customers. We’ve also got Fieldgoods in frozen food. The packaging is amazing and really stands out. With the rising cost of restaurants, we’re seeing a lot of traction in frozen meals.”

PrePear is another product that’s become a hit. “It’s a Korean pear juice in a sachet that you take before drinking – like a sort of anti-hangover elixir. They’re doing really well – people loved them over the party season.”

Rachel says she loves Tossed’s range of salad dressings, and the bread from Seven Seeded bakery (sold whole and used for their sandwiches) - after all, decent bread isn’t something you’d expect to discover in a convenience store.

“They are well-known in foodie circles and really high quality. That’s what we’re going for – a blend of known and tiny brands who can grow with us.”

How is the Storrd concept going down with local shoppers?

So far, so good, according to Rachel and Kyle, who are buoyed by the response. “What we’ve been hearing again and again is, ‘We’ve been waiting for this for so long’. That’s been amazing,” says Rachel, who adds that customers are delighted it’s dog-friendly. “I’ve got friends who will get off the Tube a stop earlier if they know they can pop in somewhere with their dog in tow, so that was important, and goes back to us being convenient.”

One thing that’s important, especially with this first store, is feedback, and that’s something else that’s been invaluable over the past couple of months, Rachel adds. “We’re lucky to have constant feedback from conversations we’re having with people. It means we can ensure this store is what they actually want!”

What are the future plans for Storrd?

At the time of writing a lease was about to be signed for a second outlet of Storrd in Holborn, which will be based initially on the Camden shop, but adapt over time to the (largely office workers and students) different array of customers in that part of the city.

There are ambitions, Rachel and Kyle says, to ‘go big’ with Storrd, but they want to walk before they can run, putting down solid roots at their initial openings, and taking note of all the common factors that make them universally successful to draw up future plans.

In the works are eight to 10 stores in London, before they look out to other cities in the UK, then maybe Europe or international markets.

“The limitations are not necessarily what we can do,” says Rachel of growth, “but it’s the property market. There’s so few spaces out there at the moment across London, and it takes so long to get through the processes – that’s our limit on growth.”

The signs so far show what they’re doing is working. Customers, Rachel adds, are prepared to spend more on better quality food and drink in a convenience setting. “With the cost-of-living crisis and everything we see in the news, we see challenges for everyday consumers – especially Gen-Z. They’re all about treats and experiences. They can’t buy a house, they can’t buy a car, so they’ll invest in a £7 jar of absolutely delicious artisan pasta sauce, but then they might go for everyday pasta. The beauty of what we’re doing is that it’s ‘high-low’, building a basket here isn’t necessarily going to cost you a fortune!”