The Bfresh concept by Blink combines a food hall, convenience retail and a restaurant.
Opportunity
Ahold USA is a major food retailer organized into four regional divisions, that together operate around 770 supermarkets and 120 pick-up points in 13 states and the District of Columbia. In US food retail, one of the fastest growing segments is “food-interested, urban value-hunters”. They are more than willing to buy food online, and are very knowledgeable about food in general: origin, flavor, quality and price. Blink’s challenge in this project was to create a food store that could cater to this group’s needs.
Strategy
Blink’s assignment was to create a full solution including brand strategy, big idea, architecture, merchandising, visual identity, packaging design as well as communication in physical and digital channels. The Bfresh concept is rooted in Blink’s insight that food has become the new fashion and is part of urban culture. In Bfresh we wanted to combine great fresh food, smart value and local convenience in new creative ways, which in turn creates value for our customers. We wanted the store ambience to adapt to urban rhythms and change slightly according to the time of the day: mornings is daylight and breakfast mood, while evenings has a more club-like atmosphere with pumping house music and dimmed lights.
Concept
The brand promise is “great fresh value”. The commitment to fresh foods is underscored by the tagline to “freshify your life” with a great seasonal and local produce offer. The design delivers on the promise by mixing value pricing and a playful tone of voice in branding and communication with a well-designed total shopping experience. Bfresh brings to life the blurring of grocery retailing and food service. It is a new kind of affordable, neighborhood, fresh market, combining a food hall, restaurant and local convenience – with integrated e-commerce. The prepared foods are a unique food-to-go offer where everything is made from scratch in-store every day. Tone of voice is fun, casual and inviting. Navigation is done in playful illuminated graphics on high-level signposting key departments. Environmental and communication graphics injects personality with a range of moveable and magnetic graphics as well as hand-drawn posters that are updated on a regular basis.
Result
Bfresh is a ground-breaking concept for the US market and a great example of ”new value”; offering great fresh products at affordable pricing in a well-designed and relevant shopping experience.
