Having a bank branch inside a grocery store is nothing new, and Walmart pushed the store-within-a-store concept to include nail salons and optometrists, but according to a report from Retail Traffic magazine, more and more non-retailers are setting up shop within the walls of the neighborhood grocery.
Six AAA Express locations have hit west-coast supermarkets in recent months, while RE/MAX brokerages in New England are renting space from Stop & Shop.
AAA Express stores will offer services ranging from auto insurance to road trip planning to passport photos. The stores will measure from 500 square feet to 700 square feet in size and feature floor-to-ceiling glass panels, a curved-end portal and scrolling LED displays with moving text that will advertise AAA’s latest programs. There are currently five AAA Express locations operating inside Lucky Supermarkets. A sixth is scheduled to open in the spring of this year, possibly followed by a larger rollout of locations later.
As for RE/MAX, the story reports that it has committed to opening 17 mini-locations in 2010.
