The new station of La Pioppa Ovest stands at km 3 of the A14 motorway (Bologna-Taranto), and what's new is not so much that it was just inaugurated yesterday, but that it represents the first prototype of a new conception of the area of service. No longer a simple rest area, but a completely innovative refreshment and relaxation service, which sees for the first time large-scale retail trade also operating outside inhabited centres.
Pioppa Ovest was in fact born fromexclusive partnership between MyChef, the Italian leader in airport catering and already present on the motorway with 20 catering outlets, and Carrefour, one of the largest international large-scale retail groups. Together, the two major players have devised a new motorway service format, based, according to the project, on the "three Rs": catering, savings and relaxation. It has in fact been highlighted in a research conducted by the Izi institute that 29,3% of Italians who travel on the motorway believe an excellent bar/restaurant service is essential, while for 34,7% of the interviewees the convenience of the products is important for sale in rest areas, but above all, according to 21,7%, the "relaxation" aspect is a priority, determined by factors such as the courtesy of the staff or the care of the spaces (especially the toilets).
Here, then, is the first example of the new format: La Pioppa Ovest extends over one surface area of 2.700 square meters structured like a city square, overlooked by restaurants, shops and other services, and in the center of which there is a large relaxation area available to the public. Not only that: the customer is greeted at the entrance by the hologram (another absolute novelty) of a hostess who presents the service station, starting with the catering: the Briciole bar, the brand new MyChef format where you can find top quality baked goods, from Recco focaccia to French croissants; the Antica Locanda restaurant, where it is possible to taste the dishes of the Bolognese and Emilia-Romagna area; a McDonald's restaurant, able to bring everyone together, from families to those who often travel for work. It follows the shopping areawith the prestigious brands Carpisa and Yamamay (also for the first time on the motorway), and the shop Crossroads Express, which uses the same mix of price, assortment and quality as found in the city's sales outlets: from the deli counter to the fresh department, to the corner with Terre d'Italia PDO and PGI products.
For Carrefour, after recent not exactly successful innovations such as the Carrefour Planet, this is a great market opportunity: in 2011, according to Aiscat data, over 2 billion vehicles traveled on the entire Italian motorway network. The services associated with parking on the motorway therefore represent a market segment with interesting potential, especially for operators capable of offering a truly innovative approach that adheres to public requests.
