Grocery Headquarters’ annual design showcase takes a tour of some outstanding store designs and explores trends in materials, color schemes, layout and more.
Project: Pathmark, Weehawken, N.J.

Design team: CBX, New York

CBX was hired to design a “simpler” version of the original 2006 design and create an overall cohesive look for the entire store. Unlike the 2006 assignment, the goal this time around was to develop a much simpler color and materials retrofit program that still engaged the public with the Pathmark brand in a meaningful and memorable way. “We had done work for Pathmark before they were purchased by A&amp;P, and this time they wanted to keep the design simple and colorful to communicate their position as a value brand,” says Joe Bona, retail division president of New York-based CBX.

Tailoring the offerings to the neighborhood also drove the design, say Pathmark officials.A new 36-foot meat service offers a wide variety of fresh poultry cuts that appeal to the Weehawken neighborhood, which has a high concentration of Cubans and Dominicans. “The service meat case is about three times what we have in a typical store,” says Bob Weidner, vice president of customer experience and space management for Montvale, N.J.-based A&amp;P, which operates the Pathmark banner.

Localized offerings extend to the deli, bakery and other areas throughout the store. “It is our intention to be the neighborhood store in the markets we serve,” Weidner says.
Pathmark officials also wanted to clearly communicate the company’s “Live Better” tag line and tie the pharmacy into the rest of the store. Throughout the store, positive and playful terms reflecting the Pathmark brand image are displayed subtly along the walls.

The walls were treated in off-white, allowing the colorful signage to pop and communicate the product offering effectively to the customer.

Beige and brown tile was used throughout. The contrasting colors were used as subtle way-finding signifiers for consumers; strips of brown throughout beige tile navigated customers down aisles, while entire areas of beige tile helped separate sections of the supermarket.

Black track lighting was installed above the fresh produce section, while recessed lighting was installed throughout the rest of the store.

<a href="http://www.groceryheadquarters.com/2012/10/dazzling-decor/" target="_blank">http://www.groceryheadquarters.com/2012/10/dazzling-decor/</a>