The Market by Longo’s

With the rising popularity of city living, many retailers are challenged to re-create their stores into formats that fit urban designs.

When Longo Brothers Fruit Markets, known for its grocery stores offering quick, healthy and fresh foods, sought a store on the concourse of BCE Place in Toronto, it was faced with translating its reputation and store experience into a space that was 1/10th the size of a typical Longo store.

Working with Watt Intl. (Toronto), designers captured the essence of the urban grocery experience – quick and convenient – using a fixturing system that maximizes space while keeping the store easy to navigate. The result won first place in the service retailer category in the ISP/VM+SD International Store Design Competition.

Floor-to-ceiling shelving and special fixtures designed to wrap around support columns allow the retailer to present a large volume of product in an orderly and convenient fashion. For example, shelving above the cheese section holds an assortment of crackers close at hand.

The store entrance houses fresh quality meal solutions for quick pickup. Fresh juices, chilled cases and fresh produce are located near the checkout counter. Around the perimeter, a range of products, from fresh meats and cheeses to bakery products, is on display. Rich woods, river rock and cultured stone add to the refined and tasteful environment.

Longo’s new recipe is appealing to Toronto’s city dwellers, too. The grocery store has already extended its hours of operation to meet growing customer needs and appetites.

Client: Longo Brothers Fruit Markets, Toronto

Design: Watt Intl. Inc., Toronto – Jean Paul Morresi; Sam Chan; Kim Clark; Steve Van Rooy; Matt DeAbreu; Carla Conte

Architect: Bregman + Hamann Architects, Toronto

General Contractor: RFB Construction, Burlington, Ont.

Cultured stone: Kurt Trierweiller, Newmarket, Ont.

Stainless-steel baseboards: Alumasteel, Salt Lake City

Tiles, Countertops, Surfacing Materials: Ciot Tecnica, Toronto

Vinyl Baseboard: Johnsonite, Waterloo, Ont.

Wood Ceilings: The Sullivan Source, Toronto

Wood Plastic Laminates: Tafisa Canada, Dorval, Que.

Wood Tiles, Flooring, column tops: Stone Tile, Toronto

Photography: Si Hoang, Toronto