If shoppers took the time to make lists of priorities, “saving time” would be at the top. Supermarket chain Safeway (Pleasanton, Calif.) has answered that call for convenience with The Market, a grab-and-go grocery store in Long Beach, Calif. The store sports a smaller, European-style format, an edited product selection, prepared foods, fresh produce and a Signature Café, which offers breakfast and lunch.

“Stores are located in convenient, high-density neighborhoods, with a focus on quick and healthy meal solutions,” says Allison Westrick, creative director for WD Partners, the Dublin, Ohio-based design firm that collaborated with Safeway’s lifestyle group on The Market. “So consumers can pop in more frequently, see what’s new and pick up something for dinner.”

The Market keeps it simple with prepared foods available in three styles: ready-to-cook, ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat. And, says Westrick, fresh produce is central to the shopping experience, greeting the customer at the entry and adjacent to every service department and center store aisle.

Even with a small footprint, The Market still features full-service meat, deli and seafood departments. A simple wayfinding system of outward-facing walls with vertical food graphics and a red soffit winding through the store guides customers to these areas.

Project Suppliers

Client: Safeway Inc., Pleasanton, Calif

Rojon Hasker, president/general manager, corporate lifestyle and concept development

Scott Shores, vp, corporate lifestyle and concept development

Design/Architect: WD Partners, Dublin, Ohio

Allison Westrick, prototype director

Brian Bucher, prototype designer

Cindy Eastep, project lead, foodservice

Mark Cook, senior architectural project designer

Mike Corbett, client program manager

Monica Fox, prototype designer

Sean Smith, account executive, project manager

General Contractor: Palladeo, Glendale, Calif.

Custom Millwork: East Bay, Oakland, Calif.

Flooring: Armstrong, Lancaster, Pa.

Lighting: Nesco, Canton, Mass.

Signage/Graphics: King Retail Solutions, Eugene, Ore.

Kingmond Young Photography, San Francisco