Morrisons has launched a new café concept in its Crawley store which opened this week.
The new format will be built into all new stores from September and retro-fitted into a number of existing ones as the supermarket continues to invest in its supermarket offer.
Morrisons is investing in its cafes as it aims to attract some of the 10.7 million customers who currently make use of the stores, but may not have visited the cafe before. These include mums with young children, busy workers, young couples and singles.
A retro-fit of Morrisons Ripon cafe saw footfall increase by 40 per cent in the first week.
Morrisons 392 cafes currently make up the 7th largest foodservice business in the UK*, ahead of Pizza Express, Starbucks and Wetherspoons, and serves 800,000 customers 35 million meals each year.
The new design and layout reflects customers’ different reasons for visiting a café: a recharge after shopping, convenient pit stop, regular catch up, and to make life easier.
New features to reflect those needs include:
- Modern British café décor to include casual dining tables and chairs, soft seating and sharing tables
- New menu with a greater focus on fresh food
- Moveable seating to allow buggies and wheelchairs to be wheeled up to tables
- Free wi-fi The introduction of a patisserie style counter
- Free refills available on freshly ground coffees
The café menu has also undergone a total redesign. Traditional Morrisons classics such as fish and chips are still available, but a range of new low-calorie meal options including fresh salads have been added. More of the fresh ingredients will come from Morrisons Market Street. Value remains another key ingredient - a family of four can still eat for £9.00.
Darren Smith, Morrisons Café Customer Planner said: “The way customers use cafes has changed and we have responded to that. Today’s discerning shoppers want free wi-fi, healthy meal options and an environment where they feel comfortable alone or with friends or family. The new concept builds on the formidable reputation our cafes already enjoy.”
Published 02/07/2014