Said Peter Arnold, Pick n Pay's general manager of Fresh Foods. "This store is geared toward elevating the customer experience to levels never experienced locally before ... We have combined the value of a trusted supermarket brand with the exclusivity and variety of a boutique store that ultimately offers customers a truly unique shopping experience."
The building itself has been designed to represent a departure from the traditional cubes of old-school supermarkets, with double-volume glass windows that bathe the store in natural light, while the industrial elements of exposed steel struts, glass and brickwork give the building a contemporary and minimalist feel.
The store presents a multitude of experiences in all fresh food areas including the deli, juice bar, wine cellar, cheese room, bakery, as well as dedicated fish market and butchery.
In terms of merchandising, displays are organic and less structured than traditional stores.
While Pick n Pay on Nicol will carry the basic every-day brands for both household and personal care, the focus is on showcasing a selection of South African boutique suppliers and unique imports, as well as a vast range of green and organic products.
The strictest health and safety standards are in place with respect to all aspects of fresh produce, from fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry and fish - all of which offer full traceability. Smaller suppliers are being guided through the process of compliance with the help of 46 expert Pick n Pay food technologists.
The new store's cheese room is likely to become one its talking points. To accommodate and maintain the high quality of more than 40 imported French cheese brands, a customised cold room has been built to facilitate aging. The room will mimic a cave-like climate favoured by young cheeses, with a temperature of 11ºC and 90% humidity. Locally some very exciting new products will debut alongside local favourites such as Fairview and Simonsberg, including the first locally produced Buffalo Mozzarella, as well as Padano-style cheese.
Artisan baker Louis de Beer has trained scores of previously unemployed people, seeking better opportunities within the company, into specialist bakers. Each unit of pastry chefs, confectioners, patisserie chefs and bakers has since been encouraged to form their own commercial entities, the services of which are then leased by the supermarket. De Beer has introduced a number of rustic artisan breads to the store, such as authentic German sour dough, rye, French baguette and ciabatta.
Pick n Pay on Nicol aims to offer a wide selection of wine, champagne, single malt whiskey, vodka, grappa and beer. Wine expert Peter Short will be available to assist customers in pairing the right wine with their dinner menus. An active wine cellar will stock a large variety of new vintages, as well as a selection of collectables.
A fresh flower emporium will provide the services of a florist for professionally mixed bouquets and gifts. In addition to seasonal flowers, also on offer is a fine variety of locally grown orchids, an assortment of rose species, as well as a large selection of pot plants.
Pick n Pay is officially South Africa's greenest retailer, and Pick n Pay on Nicol will signal a new era of green retailing, with a host of initiatives in place, not only to ensure the most environmentally sound operations, but to also assist customers in making informed decisions when it comes to lowering their own environmental impact.
While the skylights and double-glass walls diffuse natural light during the day, the roof will collect rainwater for the irrigation of the landscaping. Even the traffic lights at the intersection outside the store are solar-powered.
Solar panelling and timers have been installed to reduce energy required for geysers, and lower water usage has been accommodated by means of low-flow sanitary ware and electronic taps. The number of illuminated signs outside has been reduced, as well as the number of light boxes in-store; and only environmentally friendly paint was used. In addition, all timber was locally sourced, in line with the Forest Stewardship Council recommendations.
On-site recycling of waste from the store, coffee shop and cooking school is a priority and in-store recycling bins are available for shoppers, facilitating the recycling of batteries, CFLs, ink cartridges and plastic bags and containers.
As a partner of WWF South Africa in the Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI), Pick n Pay on Nicol will stock only fish varieties that are sustainably caught, and customers can look forward to a vast range of green products - in food and household categories - as well as a significant range of organic products.
Furthermore, shoppers will have a choice of eco-friendly bags, both the brown paper variety, as well as cloth designer bags in a range of colourful designs.
The store will have a dedicated E-Services Zone, with a full range of offerings such as insurance from Hollard and Instant Life, a host of banking services from Nedbank, a Berco drop box that will allow customers to courier packages with ease, Pick n Pay Travel, gift cards, as well as Lotto and Power Ball. Money transfers will be available as from the second week of November 2010.
Located on the mezzanine level of the store is the Good Food Studio, a one-of-a-kind venue that boasts a cooking school that promises to transform culinary skills from ordinary to outstanding, as well as a dedicated space for private functions such as wine-tastings and book club get-togethers.
Each cooking course will be hosted by a speciality tutor in the state-of-the-art SMEG kitchens, from basic cooking for housekeepers, bachelors and new cooks, to children, advanced foodies and adventurers looking to learn a new skill. To top it all, there will be regular appearances by celebrity guests who will share their personal entertainment and cooking secrets.
The store's contemporary-style café, Thyme on Nicol, will offer customers a stylish and convenient location to meet and enjoy some of the fare available in the store.
The store will provide up to 250 jobs, 200 of which are entirely new.
Go to www.picknpay.co.za for more information.
For more information please contact Dani Isaacs on 083 308 6260 or dani@corporateimage.co.za
