OKay Compact opens second Ghent store with new food corner and dining area
On Wednesday 23 January OKay Compact, the urban convenience store of OKay's supermarket chain, opens its second store in the centre of Ghent. After Krommewal in September, the retailer has selected Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, directly opposite the Ufo campus and the Rectorate of UGent. Customers can find everything they need to do their daily shopping quickly and easily in the small and practical convenience store. It is the first OKay Compact store with a 20-seat food corner and dining area for snacks, salads and beverages.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Strategic location at UGent
The brand new store is located on Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, directly opposite the Ufo campus (University Forum) and the Rectorate of Ghent University. The premises were previously home to a snooker room and the Italian restaurant 'Il Peperoncino'. “We chose this location because it is a densely populated area with many passers-by and lots of life in the brewery. Among other things thanks to the hundreds of students and employees of UGent", says Gert Somers, responsible at OKay Compact. It is the second OKay Compact in Ghent, after the opening of Krommewal in September. The other OKay Compact stores - the figure is now at 8 - are located in Brussels, Antwerp and Liège.
Food corner & dining area with 20 seats
The new OKay Compact has a first in store for the Ghent public. “For the first time, we have set up a separate food corner with the widest range of on-the-go products of all stores to date. Another new feature is the 20-seater dining area, where you can sit down and eat or drink in peace," says Gert Somers. Customers will find fresh coffee, doughnuts, sausage rolls, filled rolls, wraps, chilled drinks, etc. At the salad bar, you can put together your own salad. The concept is a first for OKay Compact and for Colruyt Group in general. A food corner and dining area will also be provided at the Molenbeek branch, which will open at the beginning of March.
Focus on daily shopping
OKay Compact Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat is fresh and modern, has a surface area of 450 m² and employs 10 people. The store focuses on the daily shopping needs of city people. “Thanks to our wide range in a limited area, local residents, students and passers-by will all find something to their liking with us," says store manager Prince Rwego. He also steered the opening of OKay Compact Krommewal in the right direction. “I already got to know the people of Ghent first-hand and heard a lot of positive reactions. We hope to continue along this path here in Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat." The fact that the store, like all other OKay Compact stores, is open on Sunday mornings is also a big plus.