The retail duo model for autonomous convenience
Colruyt announces a new strategy for Okay Direct
Colruyt Group is adapting its strategy for Okay Direct, its autonomous convenience store concept that operates 24/7. After several years of testing in Ghent, the group has concluded that the most relevant model is to locate an Okay Direct store in the immediate vicinity of a traditional Okay supermarket.
As a result, two of the three existing Okay Direct stores in Ghent, located on Belfortstraat and Koning Leopoldstraat, will close. The third location, at Kortrijksepoort, will remain open.
According to Colruyt Group, this configuration makes it possible to optimise deliveries, increase flexibility in workforce management and support the further development of the concept. The group also states that the concept responds to growing demand from urban customers for more flexible shopping options.
The next step has already been announced: the first Okay Direct store in Brussels will open in Etterbeek, alongside a new Okay supermarket on Chaussée de Wavre. The opening is scheduled for the current financial year, which ends at the end of March 2027. The exact opening date will be announced at a later stage.
Full analysis on https://vincentpanneels.substack.com/p/the-retail-duo-model-for-autonomous