The country's supermarket operators seem to be following a curious new trend, signing deals for store-within-a-store concepts with businesses hawking real estate and auto insurance. Stop & Shop, for instance, has just signed a deal for 17 "micro stores" with RE/MAX of New England. According to the Hartford Courant, the first of these stores will open at a Stop & Shop in North Haven, Conn. RE/MAX officials say they don't necessarily expect Stop & Shop customers to immediately start using their services, but hope the presence of a RE/MAX store at their local supermarket will help them remember the brand when they do decide to switch digs.
Meanwhile, we hear that auto club AAA is opening up "express" stores at Lucky Supermarkets in Northern California, Nevada and Utah. Now, shoppers who visit a Lucky store will be able to buy auto insurance, plan road trips and even get their passport photos taken while on site. Has anyone heard of similar deals taking place?