Core-Mark to open innovation hub in the U.S.
Core-Mark Holding Co. Inc. is moving ahead with the construction of its U.S.-based "Center of Excellence," which is designed to deliver an immersive experience, allowing retail leaders and vendors to gain real-time insights into emerging trends and opportunities.
Construction started September 26th and Core-Mark will showcase a virtual tour at the 2019 NACS Show, held this week in Atlanta.
"The opening of Core-Mark's Center of Excellence marks our steadfast dedication to driving innovation within the convenience retail industry," said Core-Mark Senior Vice President of Marketing Chris Murray. "We have created an environment that combines forward-looking consumer trends with real-time data so we can align with our customers and inform the future of convenience today."
The centre, which is slated to open in 2020, will feature five hubs:
- Collaboration Hub — A customized experience to align Core-Mark and customers on joint strategies and business goals.
- Culinary Test Kitchen — A test kitchen to develop new menu items, test new equipment and create the next breakthrough in the culinary shopper experience.
- Modern Retail Experience — Virtual product placement and store layout using the latest software tools to facilitate visualization while leveraging data to create the optimal shopping experience.
- Insights and Data Center — Leveraging leading-edge data analytics tools to capture meaningful and actionable insights from data.
- People Training Facility — An educational lab to share insights, train sales teams and learn from thought leaders.
Based in Westlake, Texas, Core-Mark offers a full range of products, marketing programs and technology solutions to more than 44,000 customer locations in the United States and Canada through 32 primary distribution centres, excluding two distribution facilities the company operates as a third-party logistics provider.
Originally published at Convenience Store News.