The Valora Group has been named “European Convenience Retailer of the Year” for its avec flagship store on Freiestrasse in Zurich. The award is considered one of the most prestigious in international convenience retail and was presented at the renowned NACS Convenience Summit Europe in Copenhagen. The international jury of experts praised a store concept that is setting new innovative standards for convenience retail across Europe.
The title “European Convenience Retailer of the Year” is awarded annually to the most innovative and successful convenience store. The international jury evaluated criteria such as customer experience, store design, assortment quality and variety, as well as technological and sustainable innovations. The avec flagship store on Freiestrasse excelled across all evaluation criteria. The jury particularly highlighted “the convincing interplay of fresh food to go, a carefully curated range of everyday convenience items, and the use of innovative technologies to create an even more customer-friendly shopping experience.” Valora is the first retailer from the German-speaking region to receive this prestigious award for Europe’s best convenience store.
“This award is a great recognition for our team and confirms that our strong focus on even more fresh food to go in convenience retail truly meets the spirit of the times,” says Michael Mueller, CEO of Valora Group. With around 200 menus sold daily from its in-house production unit “The Kitchen”, along with a wide range of food and beverages to go, the Freiestrasse store reaches a food & beverage share of about 90 percent – the highest within the entire Valora Group.
The Next Generation of Convenience Retail
The award-winning flagship store exemplifies a new generation of convenience retail, in which Valora is consistently implementing its “foodvenience” strategy. This strategy is based on the growing demand for fresh food on the go and the need for a fast and convenient shopping experience. Changing consumer habits and the rise of a mobile lifestyle are driving this development.
The avec flagship store offers freshly prepared food to-go on around 160 m² of sales space, which is prepared directly on site in the open kitchen concept “The Kitchen” – so customers can transparently experience freshness and quality. The store also features a modern coffee and bakery section, as well as a curated selection of regional specialties and everyday essentials. Custom-developed self-order and self-checkout terminals ensure a seamless and efficient shopping experience.
Located in Zurich’s university district, the store appeals to a diverse urban audience – from students and professionals to families from the neighborhood. With this, Valora demonstrates that an innovative convenience concept can also thrive outside of traditional high-traffic locations.
