Minale moan rue mots thetreon more loororp

The merging of the grocery and petrol retail sectors has taken another turn, with a new concept by Minale Tattersfield for 120-strong Northern Irish wine retail chain Winemark.

The group has been working on the project for two years creating the strategy, naming, branding, architecture and design work for the new format called Shop 4 U.

Minale Tattersfield chairman Marcello Minale says the concept aims to marry the shopping centre format with the petrol forecourt. Design details are under wraps at this stage.

“Basically it’s a big courtyard with a number of retail outlets around a petrol forecourt. The retailers will offer suitable products and services and will vary from site to site,” says Minale.

The consultancy has so far applied the concept to three outlets in Belfast, which are currently being built. One will be attached to an existing petrol station and two will be on newly-developed sites. The first of these will open in around six months.

Every site will house a Winemark outlet. Minale says a typical format could include a garden centre, for which one typically needs a car: a pharmacy for which long opening hours are a great advantage, and a fast food outlet. The identity for each unit will exist alongside the Shop 4 U branding. Long term roll out plans have yet to be determined.

Meanwhile Shell UK’s in-house design team is working on a non-petrol Select retail outlet, planned to open on London’s Strand this summer.