COMMUNITY FOCUS

Curating the power of community to create an experience like no other.
CLIENT

Calgary Co-op

PROJECT

Calgary Co-Op

RELATED SERVICE

Environmental Design

THINK

Calgary Co-op was one of the city’s first grocery chains, having operated for nearly 60 years. New competition from national grocery chains forced Calgary Co-op to reposition. Its status as Calgary’s oldest chain became a strong story for the retailer’s environmental design and presented a unified, locally focused narrative to support its new differentiated position.

BLINK

The evolution of the existing store design to become more contemporary, exciting, and distinctive was crucial in the renovation of the Auburn Bay Co-Op. Connecting with local farmers and products became a central theme, with visual connections to local elements throughout the redesigned signage and store. The introduction of symbols and bright colors to help provide customers with a rapid visual indication of the distinct areas, such as the pharmacy in blue, was one of the key goals of the redesign.

The store’s design was also refreshed with lively, inviting décor and fixtures to create an approachable community-focused retailer, as well as its devotion to locally produced items. Overall, the new store design layout would appeal to the community. In-store visual metaphors not only focused on the new brand strategy but also improved the consumer experience by emphasizing the community experience.