Jamaica Blue has devised a new store design as part of its ongoing brand revolution, and it will eventually be rolled out across the cafe and coffee chain’s entire network of stores.

The refresh is reflective of the brand’s goal to continue to operate in line with customers’ changing preferences, as well as design trends.

“The reason for the new design rollout is quite simply natural retail evolution. Just as customers change, tastes change, design trends change and food trends change, Jamaica Blue as a brand is no different,” says national brand manager Drew Eide.

“The reinvigorated store design is just one of Foodco’s many strategies intended to keep Jamaica Blue relevant in the ever changing world of retail.”

The new layout was created with the following store design strategy in mind: “To enhance the experience of our retail environment, to improve our customers brand experience and deliver a thoughtful store design which is reflective of and brings to life out Jamaican coffee heritage and brand essence.”

In particular, Jamaica Blue sought to appeal to two key customer segments – those in routine shopping mode and those in destination shopping mode.

The routine shopper visits their local store on a regular basis, yet for a short period of between six and 12 minutes – it breaks up their routine, which may include the grocery shopping or daily work.

On the other hand, the destination shopper will specifically plan a trip to Jamaica Blue. They view the venue as a social setting where they can dine with friends, and while they visit less frequently than the routine shopper, their stay is much longer, of between 30 and 90 minutes.

With this in mind, according to Eide, key features of the new design include:

• Warm and welcoming in-store zones for different occasions and comfortable but functional spaces to cater to particular shopper modes
• Unique features and finishes that reflect Jamaica Blue’s brand personality, for example, Wallenford Estate coffee barrels as light features and quirky graphics that indicate the distance between the individual store and the island of Jamaica as well as Jamaican proverbs with English translation
• Uncluttered counters with a strong focus on Jamaica Blue’s coffee credentials/story
• Polished concrete, timber floors and ceiling fans to deliver a verandah feel

The refreshed design was first unveiled at a new outlet at Joondalup, Perth in March, and it’s said to include modern feature lighting, distinctive graphics and bespoke objects.