Okay City, the urban format of Colruyt Group’s neighbourhood supermarket, is strengthening its image as the easiest solution for quick shopping by extending its opening hours. Stores in the tourist centres of Ghent, Antwerp and Liège will now stay open longer on Sundays: until 7.30 p.m. instead of noon, including on public holidays. This extension comes on top of the Sunday morning openings introduced in January for all Okay neighbourhood supermarkets.
Even more flexibility
The increasing demand for flexibility among customers had already prompted Colruyt Group, at the beginning of January, to open all Okay neighbourhood supermarkets on Sunday mornings. With the urban format Okay City, the Belgian retail group is taking things a step further: opening hours until 7.30 p.m. in the busy tourist centres of Ghent (Kortrijksepoortstraat, Sint Pietersnieuwstraat and Sint Niklaasstraat), Antwerp (Quellinstraat, Jezusstraat and Lange Dijkstraat) and Liège.
“These seven stores join the six stores in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent and Blankenberge where the extended opening hours were already in place,” says Jurgen Van Daele, responsible for Okay City. "The test showed that customers appreciate the longer opening hours. That’s why we are expanding the number of stores that open on Sunday afternoons. These are stores in busy areas where customers expect extra flexibility."
Zondagsopeningen een succes
In January, Okay’s neighbourhood supermarkets became the first non-franchised supermarkets in Belgium to open on Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. After two months, Christophe Dehandschutter, Director of Okay, looks back with satisfaction: “Many customers came along from the very first Sunday opening. Our colleagues tell us that Sundays are pleasantly busy. Excellent conditions for shopping. That feeling is reflected in the figures. Every Sunday,we saw customer numbers rise visibly and we welcomed many new shoppers. At the same time, the average spend per basket/trolley remains stable. Customers aren't just coming in for their Sunday rolls or pastries, they see Sunday as an extra opportunity to do all their shopping. We notice the same positive dynamic with the employees. They appreciate the atmosphere on Sundays and the extra day off during the week."
With the extension of their Sunday opening hours, Okay and Okay City further strengthen their position as the easiest solution for everyday shopping. "At Okay, we say ‘Easy does it' with a reason. By being open all week, and now longer on Sundays, we are moving even closer to our customers, both in the city and beyond,” concludes Jurgen Van Daele.
