Sainsbury's has unveiled a new format store that will see it sell pre-cooked food on-the-go, including pizzas, sushi and freshly squeezed juices.
A new pilot branch has opened in Mansion House, London, where the grocer has transformed a former Sainsbury's Local store into a new convenience branch.
Nine more On the Go stores will open across Edinburgh, Bristol, Glasgow and London over the coming months, supermarket bosses said.
Sainsbury’s has over 130 Local stores in busy urban areas that it now says could be converted into On the Go branches.
Customers can choose to eat-in - for the first time perch tables have been placed at the front of store giving customers somewhere to enjoy freshly made food from an in-store pizza oven, bakery and Sushi Gourmet concession as well as hot porridge and drinks from a self-service coffee machine and orange juicer.
Products from counters have also been brought to a 'grab and go' station at the front of the store. Changed three times a day, it will offer customers a range of food to go for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.
Almost 90% of the products available in the store have been picked specifically to meet the needs of Mansion House customers, the grocer said.
Customers can shop till-free using the SmartShop mobile app and also use the branch to collect Argos and Tu orders.
The On the Go stores tap into the growing trend for convenient food to go.
According to IGD, the UK food to go sector is forecast to be worth £23.4billion by 2024, up from £18.5billion in 2019, growing by 26.4%.
Graham Biggart, Sainsbury’s director of commercial operations, said: Convenience is a growing part of our business and we have greater capability than ever to truly tailor Local stores to local needs – across our products, formats, services and operations.
"Our new On the Go Mansion House Local is a great example, bringing a new kind of convenience to busy local workers with limited time and delivering the curated range and fast experience that will enable them to get exactly what they want at pace.
"We're confident this format will further strengthen our market-leading position in convenience."
Donna Emerton, Sainsbury’s Mansion House store manager, added: "We’re really excited to bring local shoppers our new Mansion House store. By focussing on fresh ‘On the Go’ food and drink and making it even easier for customers to shop quickly and conveniently, we’re well-placed to bring busy city workers everything they need under one roof."
