Soebys Opens First ’Flexstore’ in North America

Sobeys has opened a supermarket that gives new meaning to the word flexible.

The Canadian grocer’s store in Orangeville, Ontario, is the first location in North America to feature the “Flexstore” concept from design & shopfitting company Interstore/Schweitzer. All the furniture used is flexible and ready to plug in as a result of an elaborate system in which the building services (water, electricity, vacuum, data, etc.) are fed from the ceiling into the counters and furniture.

According to Interstore/Schweitzer, the Flexstore concept allows the retailer to change counters (also from service to self-service) and entire departments quickly and easily — without major construction costs — to respond to changing consumer needs. For instance, the pizza counter can easily be replaced by a salad bar by simply moving and exchanging the counters.