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