Case Study
Costa Coffee
Reimagining the retail experience for a new audience
The Challenge
To capture the essence of both ’handcrafted’ quality and ‘speed’ for Costa in the design of stores serving busy commuters.
Approach
Decoding the heart of ‘Costa-ness’ to understand the distinctive semiotic elements that must be preserved.
Interrogating how concepts of ‘handcrafted’ and ‘speed’ can be communicated though physical environment.
Collaborating across disciplines — with experts in service design, operations, experience design, brand and semiotics — to imagine a retail experience that fully embodies these concepts.
The Cultural Unlock
Developing the design concept of Warm Utility. Using creative strategy to recode and create a space that harmonised the tension around ‘handcrafted at speed’ while building on Costa’s heartland identity. Successfully injecting soulful familiarity into seamless functionality.
Impact
01
A new store concept for the UK which has been so successful it’s being rolled out across the US, the Middle East and China.
02
Fueled and inspired the innovation pipeline
“You have transformed the way we have developed our approach to store design, and we’re now rolling out the concept globally. We’ve seen the new stores perform exceptionally well in our brand tracking which is testament to your brilliant work.”
Nomad / Goodfellas:
Reinvigorating a heritage brand in decline
