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CONVENIENCE & IMPULSE RETAILING: Z REMUTAKA
Z’s fresh new store brings EV charging and barista coffee to the picturesque Remutaka Range
A newly renovated sited located in Upper Hutt north of Wellington, Z Remutaka, is supporting the changing needs and preferences of locals and visitors.
Mike Forbes, Site Leader of Z Remutaka, said the recent store refresh is part of a broader program to reinvigorate the look and feel of topperforming sites across the Z network.
An exciting time, Forbes said: “It is the most significant investment Z has made into its retail network since we launched the Z brand in 2010.
“Z Remutaka is unique to Z’s broader store refresh program in that it is actually new to the Z network, as it was previously branded under Caltex,” he said.
Moving with the times and anticipating the future energy needs of both locals and one-off customers, Z has invested in EV chargers to support evolving energy needs over the next few years.
A smart move in light of the government’s announcement last May that it aims to have 30 per cent electric and hybrid vehicles on New Zealand’s roads by 2030.
Mike Bennetts, Chief Executive of Z Energy, said that the electrification of light passenger transport is occurring at a pace that supports the rate that Z is scaling up its charging network.
“By the end of 2023, we plan to have EV charging available at one in five of our Z sites. Within three years, we plan this to increase to see EV chargers show up at two in five Z sites,” he said.
An overall challenge that we are committed to meeting is maintaining the fast and friendly service that customers expect at their local Z station, while also being attentive to their individual coffee, food, and convenience needs
- Mike Forbes, Site Leader, Z Remutaka.
Well-positioned to leverage its existing and well-established network of service stations gives Z an objective point of difference, offering customers a safe, well-lit charging environment with food, beverages and other onsite amenities in reach.
“Being a highway site, our weekday customers are mainly locals who work and live in Upper Hutt, but on weekends, we see more travelling customers heading from Wellington to the Wairarapa and back,” said Forbes.
Catering to a wide variety of people from the local region and beyond, Forbes said a significant challenge in the store refresh process was moving from a self-serve coffee system to a full barista service.
“A major challenge for our crew was moving from self-service coffee to a full barista service, offering alternative milks and iced drinks,” said Forbes. “However, the change has meant that we can deliver better customer experiences.”
A tight timeframe, 1-in-100-year weather events, and COVID-19 all wreaked havoc on the transition process, making managing everything tricky, said Forbes.
“Our builders and contractors did an amazing job to complete the store within the given timeframe,” he said, miraculously allowing the store to open on time in September last year.
Now positioned as a hub for EV drivers and customers seeking freshly made coffee, Forbes said that in the long term, it would be a challenge to keep pace with customers’ changing energy needs as EV take-up increases.
“Over the long term, a challenge will likely be to keep up with the changing needs of our customers. Z Remutaka is well-placed to deliver here, though, thanks to our newly installed EV chargers,” he said.
Also on the cards is the uptake of apps to support the in-store and online customer experience, something Forbes said could present a further challenge in the medium term for his store.
“I anticipate a challenge will be providing technology to support customer experiences, such as apps, while also maintaining solutions for other customers who are less reliant on technology,” he said.
Challenges aside, Forbes sees a bright future for Z Remutaka, doing what they do best. “An overall challenge that we are committed to meeting is maintaining the fast and friendly service that customers expect at their local Z station while also being attentive to their individual coffee, food, and convenience needs,” he concludes.
