Chocolate company Thorntons is going through a shake up at present, with a large number of store closures and a re-assessment of its retail activities. While selling through the multiples is a growing part of their business, the Thornton’s store is still how most of us recall this 100 year old brand.
We paid a visit to one of their new stores to review their latest retail design scheme.
This new store design has been trialled in New Street, Birmingham. The frontage has a gold frontage, which is understated. The window displays allow good visibility into the store, but there could be more enticement and reason to enter.
Inside the store, the curved walls add some shape to a relatively small square footprint. A rich plum colour is used on much of the unitary, creating a warm, premium atmosphere, although the pink signage and graphics are much harsher in tone.
The most striking display is the pick and mix, a great, gravity fed feature, allowing shoppers to fill jars or boxes from 8 tubes of chocolates. A World of Flavours feature is also a well designed area, providing 20 different flavoured chocolates; although the 3 step selection guide is hidden away on hand written tags attached to products in the bottom half of the area.
Our Verdict: 7/10 Overall, this design moves Thorntons forward from their tired, cluttered existing format. The navigation and communication could improve with reasons to buy and a sense of occasion throughout the journey, but this is a step in the right direction.
Author: Ian Scott
December 2, 2011
HRG News