All Greens is a new green grocer store designed to be tactile and connects to the seasons through the produce displayed. We were inspired by the local grocers’ interiors at the turn of the century and the abundance and freshness of the Mediterranean food markets which celebrate the provenance of the produce in a grand and theatrical fashion. The bespoke cabinetry radiate quality and craftmanship and the display is designed to show the craft and care that is put into sourcing fruit and vegetable. This serves to recreate the sense of the familiar grocery shop which once formed a pillar for the local community.
Our brief was to create a fresh look and feel for the new All Greens store in Abbeville Road in Clapham: a local store supporting the local community. We developed the store concept to reflect All Greens core values celebrating the best quality fruit and vegetable along with a wide range of organic grocery and deli items. It was also the first store in the group to implement All Green’s new branding by A Practice for Everyday Life.
- The display is designed to show the craft and care that is put into sourcing fruit and vegetables and running the store. With the growing interest in vegetarian and vegan lifestyle and cooking with sustainably sourced produce we have designed the display to enhance the full range of amazing fruit, herbs and vegetables.
Our vision was to create an inviting light, airy space that's tactile and friendly and connects to nature and the seasons through the produce displayed. We were inspired by the local grocers’ interiors at the turn of the century with their exquisite carpentry and the abundance and freshness of the Mediterranean food markets which celebrate the provenance of the produce in a grand and theatrical fashion.
Given the generous height of the space upon entering, we created an inviting rich food wall display which draws the customers in and is visible from the street. Custom-designed soft metal brackets hold sapele shelving which adds an extra sense of height to the food wall.
The design language is soft and inviting throughout the store. The bespoke cabinetry of the island units, storage units and shelving radiate quality and craftmanship. This serves to recreate the sense of the familiar grocery shop which once formed a pillar for the local community.
The layout of the store was designed to be easy and intuitive to navigate and find desired items. This was achieved by creating a clear line of sight throughout the store, avoiding aisles and corridors making it easy and intuitive for the customers browse freely and to touch, smell, and be immersed the splendour of the fresh produce on display.
All corners of the shelving and island unit are curved rather than right-angled, creating a flow around the store.
A warmly lit light box is suspended above the till creating an inviting glow. The till counter is made from sapele with inlaid copper surfaces to house the tills and shopping baskets. The copper was selected as its antibacterial and hard wearing, and ages well with the patina of use.
With minimum back room storage, our challenge was to integrate most within the store display. This has been achieved with a continuous run of extra deep shelf units. Instead of a fixed box system that is often used we created long trays with a flexible divider – so they can be adjusted to accommodate the constant change in different sizes of produce being displayed. Reversable concealed pull-out storage units makes use of extra deep under counter space and are beneficial to the staff as it makes it easy and flexible to manage and maintain stock as it arrives on a daily basis.
The produce is lit with a combination of spotlights and integrated LED strips – that can be dimmed and adjusted according to the outdoor weather conditions. A custom designed light box is suspended over the till and two fruit shaped rice lamps hang in the entrance creating a warm and homely feel.
For the front of shop we developed a unique mobile display unit that can easily be wheeled in and out of the shop on a daily basis. This unit has an integrated extendable shelf which can be used to extend the capacity of the produce on display.
A flexible labelling system was developed consisting of a series of folded metal tabs that simply hook onto the upstand of the shelving making pricing very clear and visible to the customer.
Sepele hard wood was chosen for its beautiful rich reddish-brown colour and properties of long lasting and hard wearing, easy to maintain and suitable for the environment of different moisture levels and temperatures. All Sapele used is FSC certified.
We used Forbo’s Marmoleum throughout the shop and storage room. The Marmoleum is CO2 neutral (from cradle to gate) – without offsetting. Manufactured from 97% natural raw materials, 62% renewable resources and 43% recycled and reused materials. Long lasting and easy to clean and naturally bacteriostatic throughout the product’s life.
Complition 2022
Credits:
Design: Studiomama
Client: All Greens + Cengiz Orman
Design Consultant: Jane Withers Studio
Project Manager: Tracey Josephs
Cabinet maker: Steve Sheer Armaria
Branding: Emma Thomas, A Practice For Every Day Life
Photo: Rei Moom – Moonray Studio