The End-to-End Process for C-Store Transformation

When we talk with clients and potential clients about “The Miller Zell Advantage,” we focus on our end-to-end services — concept to completion — that offer a comprehensive partnership and a “no-handoff” approach to developing optimized retail and other branded environments.

After more than 60 years of working with a diverse clientele, we’ve found this approach works best for translating branding vision and business goals into reality. It’s about a thorough, seamless and efficient process that delivers great customer and associate experiences, as well as one that saves time and money.

Impactful brand experiences for c-store

Consider challenges for convenience stores. Is the c-store future large format, small format or drive-thru? What about branding, marketing and retail opportunities with EV charging stations? Is there an efficient and profitable way to upgrade foodservice offerings? And can store design improve the associate experience and thereby increase associate retention?

Miller Zell specializes in providing solutions for these sorts of business challenges.

So, what does our process look like?

Design & design development

There needs to be a “why” for every aspect of your branded environment.

We start by understanding your unique business objectives, target audience and brand identity. Our team of experts will develop a tailored strategy to elevate your stores.  The design development process also benefits significantly from including you in a transparent, in-house dialogue on material selection, ease of packing, shipping and installation.

*Slide across to see how the design came to life. Alltown is a fresh, modernized convenience store design that elevates a strong New England brand and serves its customers’ evolving needs.

In the end-to-end picture, the dots need to be connected between research, strategy, design, design development, engineering and prototyping, particularly in advance of executing at scale. Before you green light your project, it’s wise to ask who will connect those dots.

Our designers will create innovative and engaging store designs that reflect your brand, attract customers and improve associate satisfaction and performance. We focus on creating functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces that maximize sales and profitability. And we never stop value engineering.

Production & rollout

Great design is only valuable when it’s precisely executed at scale and delivers on your business and branding goals. This requires outstanding program management — providing comprehensive oversight, maintaining timelines and budgets and even improving them.

Complex rollouts require great communication, whether that’s with your marketing team, general contractors or store general managers. It’s more than just providing an optimal production, shipping and installation strategy. Great project managers suggest cost-saving ideas and are proactive with creating efficiencies during the process. Installation considerations begin during design and include warehousing, kit-packing processes and assembly methods and instructions.

“Complex rollouts require great communication, whether that's with your marketing team, general contractors or store general managers.”

Further, we ensure an efficient installation process for a wide variety of store footprints, minimizing disruption to your operations.

A true end-to-end partner

Often c-store retailers hire several companies that specialize in one area or another. Sometimes that works. But often it misses the opportunity to elevate the entire project in terms of process and results.

It’s risky to rely on a series of handoffs between multiple vendors who are more likely to pass the buck than solve problems when things get complicated. The solution? A no-handoff, single point of contact and accountability who becomes an extension of your team. Someone who understands your internal processes and focuses on providing solutions, efficiency and cost savings.

… And an innovative problem solver

As noted, we’ve been doing this for a long time. And frequently our end-to-end capabilities provide clients solutions at a wide variety of points within the concept-to-completion timeline.

In other words, we offer you a no-handoff approach, but a critical part of our end-to-end capabilities is our ability to take handoffs and solve specific problems. And then to help you cross the goal line and celebrate a project win at scale.

“...a critical part of our end-to-end capabilities is our ability to take handoffs and solve specific problems.”

We can start our collaborative process with research and data collection that then fuels our strategic designs for a brand refresh and rollout. Or we can take your designs and value engineer, produce and execute to save you time and money. Or we can provide custom fixtures and print/digital for an endcap for a specific product you want to efficiently deploy at scale.

Our diverse capabilities ensure we fully understand every point of the process of developing branded environments for diverse clients — c-store, big box retailers, QSRs, banks, colleges, corporate headquarters, pharmacy and health care, etc.

The Miller Zell difference

Miller Zell specializes in solving complex problems and managing detailed programs for our clients. We draw from the combined bench strength and deep knowledge of our subject-matter experts to ensure seamless execution and client peace of mind from concept to completion.

We combine creative design with operational efficiency, ensuring that your brand can deliver exceptional shopping experiences at scale that foster customer loyalty.