Corner shops are an essential part of the Colombian economy. It's estimated that there are more than 500,000 throughout the country, responsible for 52% of the sales of everything that is consumed nationally. They are important not just for what they represent in neighborhood dynamics but also for all the families that depend on their economy. According to research, only 4% of them have the resources to equip their store with the necessary furniture for customers to stay longer and thus consume more.

That's why Poker, one of the leading beer brands, used a resource that was already there: the PETACO, an essential object for beer distribution in Colombia where the most common consumption method is in returnable bottles.

Poker beer thrives in corner shops, comprising 65% of the distribution. Traditionally, we've furnished them with branded materials and standard furniture for effective visibility. However, the necessity of branding has intensified due to the rise of discount shops and craft beer bars in neighborhoods, impacting this channel significantly.

Our challenge was revitalizing corner shops by enhancing functionality and enjoyability to prolong customer stays and increase their average ticket.

Yet, equipping over 500,000 stores nationwide with branded furniture is unattainable.

So, we opted to utilize something that has always been there: PETACOS, regular beer boxes that we transformed into a functional design system.

Shopkeepers access it through BEES, our B2B digital platform where they earn and redeem points for beer purchases.

Our objectives:

10% of stores transformed into social hubs with the same budget.

30% increase in branded furniture units.

15% increase in beer orders.

25% reduction in furniture expenses.

As mentioned before, there are more than 500,000 corner shops in Colombia. For a local brand to comprehensively support all of them is totally unaffordable. Even a modest gift per store would require an immense investment. Thus, our challenge became clear: How could we assist these shopkeepers in improving their businesses while also ingraining our brand in their hearts?

Recognizing the pivotal role of shopkeepers as product advocates for consumers, we discovered that 96% of stores lack the resources to transform their spaces into inviting environments for customers to linger, ultimately leading to increased sales.

Our goal was to come up with a creative solution to positively impact shopkeepers’ businesses with no huge investments, and even creating savings.

Inspired by a fully modular design system, IMAGINE WITH PETACOS sparked the creativity of shopkeepers to transform beer boxes into functional furniture that adapts to any space.

From tables and chairs of various sizes to entertainment areas like scenarios and DJ sets, games for friends such as billiards, foosball, and even basketball courts, we turned stores into entertainment hubs, enticing friends to stay longer at stores.

The process of acquiring the elements needed to transform the PETACO into this functional furniture is straightforward. Shopkeepers access BEES, our B2B platform, where they purchase products, accumulate points and redeem them for benefits. They can browse available items and assembly tutorials. They select what they like and exchange it for points. If they don't have enough points, it's simple: they purchase more beer (which comes with more PETACOS) and thus transform their regular spaces into entertainment hubs for their consumers.

Transforming PETACOS into furniture for neighborhood stores has had a positive impact on business results. Increasing shopkeepers' income by 15% and the frequency consumers’ visits.

Furthermore, the improvement in customer experience has led to an increase in both the duration of visits and beer consumption in the stores.

The initiative has successfully achieved its original goal of transforming neighborhood stores into attractive and sustainable entertainment spaces, allowing us to achieve the following results according to the established objectives:

Now, we can transform +15% of corner stores into social hubs nationwide with the same budget.

+46% increase in branded furniture units reusing PETACOS instead of producing regular furniture.

+30% sales volume increase, which represents that the more Poker beer shopkeepers buy, the more furniture they can create.

+32% savings on furniture for corner shops, helping shopkeepers one PETACO at a time.