Drive-Thru Grocery: New Concept Zoomin Market Hits Kansas
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
Zoomin Market, which recently opened in Kansas, is the first of its kind in the United States: it’s a drive-thru grocery store. Founded by grocery store executive John Yerkes, who has more than 20 years in the business, Zoomin Market’s president is warehouse management specialist Matt Rider. The store had its soft launch early in April and on April 27th held its official grand opening; currently the store only has one location in Olathe, KS. Since the soft launch, the store has acquired 2,000 new users; according to Yerkes, Zoomin Market’s innovative approach to fulfillment is filling a real need in the community. The founder said one mother was so grateful that she didn’t have to shop with a car full of kids in tow that she gave him a hug. Zoomin Market’s concept is novel yet simple: its tagline reads ‘Order Online. Pick up in Store.’
To reduce traffic, the store has eight different check-out ‘lanes’ and multiple kiosks for order pick-ups; variety is currently limited as the store states that by specializing its offerings, it can pass the savings to customers. After placing an online order, customers get an email once their orders are fulfilled. Customers can pick a time to pick-up, though the store states it does not restrict customers to only pick up during that time. Proclaiming itself ‘device-agnostic,’ Zoomin Market is Web, mobile, and tablet friendly. The website indicates that Zoomin Market brings an old-fashioned retail strategy to its customer service, placing an emphasis on its happy employees and happy customers. Functioning just like a drive-thru, customers never have to exit their vehicles as his employees handle everything. Yerkes states that his store pays employees 20 to 30 percent more than competitors while keeping grocery prices in line with the competition: he stated “we not only wanted to turn grocery on its head, we wanted to turn the traditional workforce environment in grocery on its head.”
Yerkes states he was inspired to open Zoomin Market based on a 2010 article he read in the Wall Street Journal about French drive-up grocery concept Chronodrive. Chronodrive currently has 70 locations throughout France and like Zoomin Market, is also device-agnostic. Feedback, Yerkes states, is strong: “people are saying they are sitting down with their elderly parents to place their orders. One mom was sitting in the doctor’s office placing her order. Another stated, ‘Are you kidding? I don’t have to get my kids out of the car,’ on why she liked it. The family also can sit down and plan the meals at home.” For Yerkes, his vision appears to be paying off: sales are ahead of his projections.