Visual Merchandising and Store Design | VMSD.com

Award-winning renovations serve up new ideas for making a connection with consumers

By Anne DiNardo

VMSD Retail Renovation Competition Judging Panel

Barb Beeghly vp, planning and merchandising, FRCH Design Worldwide
Shonda McKinney-Short store planning/architecture/construction/
engineering, Macy’s Inc.
Ken Pray director, store design, The Kroger Co.
Joanne Putka-White design director, Fitch
Jan Tribbey vp, store design and construction, Victoria’s Secret
Editor’s note: Judges were not allowed to participate in discussions
or vote on projects from their own firms.

First Place/Retailer of the Year
CONVERSION – SUPERMARKET
Lakeview Grocery, New Orleans
Submitted by: King Retail Solutions, Eugene, Ore.

As if renovation work isn’t challenging enough, imagine your retail space was severely damaged by six feet of water, boarded up and left vacant for more than a year before you decided to give it new life. But like so many other retailers in New Orleans post-Katrina, that was the case for Marc Robért, operator of the Robért Fresh Market chain, as he sought to rebuild the five grocery stores he operated in the area.

In the city’s Lakeview neighborhood, Robért took over a space previously occupied by a competitor and partnered with Eugene, Ore.-based King Retail Solutions (KRS) to gut the 21,000-square-foot space.

Before addressing the design details, the team conducted extensive market research, including focus groups and shop-alongs with consumers, to gather direction on what services and offerings were important in creating a new brand and food experience, called Lakeview Grocery, for the neighborhood.

Among the key findings were a desire for a store with an easy-to-shop layout, simple conveniences and a sense of local pride. “In New Orleans, it’s important to be real and authentic,” says Robért.

So designers created a very linear layout with a simple, clean aesthetic and purposely retro look. “In our research, consumers were waxing nostalgic,” says Chris Studach, creative director, KRS. “They wanted it to feel like a store they could be familiar with.”

So there’s lots of regionally inspired artwork, conversational graphics with a sense of humor and chalkboard signs where employees can make personal recommendations.

The materials palette makes use of affordable building materials to convey value, including polished concrete floors and plywood sheeting stained to a “schoolhouse” yellow reminiscent of old desktops. Black gondolas with roundouts highlight premium products, while general merchandise is displayed on Oyster-white fixtures.

To appeal to the neighborhood’s social nature, designers also added an extensive fresh food section and a café, called Harrison Cove, which has its own separate entrance as well as an additional entrance from the grocery store.