Image Credit : Trevor Mein
Project Overview
Landini Associates were engaged by ALDI to reinvent their store experience and elevate customer perceptions in Australia, from the quality and freshness of the products, to the overall brand image. Ultimately, ‘Project Fresh’ was the complete reinvention of Australia’s most aggressive new supermarket entrant.
The brief was to create a new model for ALDI’s continued expansion across Australia in the face of the ever-changing competitive environment. The scope of works included master planning, interior design, graphic design, all in-store communication including tone of voice, visual merchandising, staff uniforms and design guidelines.
Following an extensive period of prototyping with the ALDI team, four “Project Fresh” trial stores were launched in 2015. ALDI was both brave yet scientific in their approach to creating a new trading format, and multiple layouts and finishes schedules were tested and then evaluated, and then modified and tested again to achieve the final “Project Fresh” model. Landini’s final design solution is now being rolled out across the nation, with every store in Australia to be trading with the new format by the end of 2020.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Landini Associates are a team of designers and strategic thinkers from around the world, based in Sydney. Their work tends to be multi-skilled as they practice strategy, architecture, interior, graphic, product, furniture and digital design. Most of their projects engage all of these disciplines and currently they are working in Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, Canada, the UK, Europe, Asia and the UAE.
Landini Associates are globally renowned for their work in food. Clients include Loblaws (all banners) (Canada), McDonald’s (Global), Marks and Spencers (UK,) Walgreens (US), Esselunga (Italy), Emart (South Korea), ALDI (Australia and China), David Jones (Australia), and Selfridges (London), amongst many others.
Project Brief
The brief was to shift customer’s perception, upgrade ALDI stores, hero the quality of the products and encourage customers to shop across the store, whilst maintaining a low-cost budget. Environmental Graphics were a crucial component to achieving this outcome.
Landini Associates reviewed all aspects of ALDI’s trading identity, conscious of the expectations of today’s savvy customer, to create a fresh and contemporary image.
The design team created a series of messages and graphic illustrations to upgrade ALDI’s overall brand image whilst maintaining their friendly, witty tone of voice. The core messages to reinforce were: great value at low prices, quality and freshness. Over 300 messaging boards were developed to communicate the brand ethos, product freshness, local sourcing, sustainable fishing and award-winning products.
Project Innovation/Need
Most discount brands think a store needs to shout with marketing, pricing, bright colours and products in bulk to say ‘Value’. This concept goes against the grain, the environment is moody, warm and modern, for a pleasant and immersive customer journey. By using raw materials and pops of bold color through in-store graphics, Landini Associates have created a stylish, simple, long lasting palette. No more noisy marketing but simple handwritten, illustrated signage to underline with a smile ALDI quality choice. Additionally, messaging is restricted to the store perimeter to allow for cross-store visibility. Playful illustrations with quality messaging can also be found on aisle ends and columns to inform and educate, capturing the confidence and energy of what ALDI has to offer without overwhelming customers.
Design Challenge
At the outset of ’Project Fresh’, many customers were reluctant to shop ALDI; most others would only buy staples at ALDI but did not really trust the brand for fresh food or a weekly shop. The reality is that ALDI food quality is brilliant and wins awards globally; hence the new store design was about ALDI food celebration, conveying its quality and offering a pleasant environment to its smart customers.
Discount store environments are generally uninviting, cold and cluttered, and many customers perceive low cost shopping as a real chore. The key challenge was to upgrade the ALDI store environment, hero the quality of the products and encourage customers to shop across the whole store, whilst respecting the brand’s positioning as a low-cost budget option.
Key messaging boards to communicate brand ethos and product quality and value utilise a simple palette of low-cost yet raw materials to increase the perception of freshness throughout the store. The design uses simple illustrations as a way of identifying wayfinding in-store, a system that is easy to recognise and navigate for the customer. Using ALDI’s friendly, witty yet clear tone of voice, the environmental graphics serve to educate and inform and have upgraded ALDI’s overall brand image in an approachable manner that customers trust.
Effectiveness
Customers love it - they queue for hours in front of the stores upon opening, they smile at the messaging, they are proud of shopping ALDI and even food and wine snobs are new converts. This has been reflected in the store’s performance (trading significantly up across all departments) as well as its uptake by other ALDI regions globally. A store that benefits the brand and the customers is the best demonstration of meaningful design. This design solution also demonstrates that good design need not be flashy, expensive, or trendy - an idea often forgotten in modern times.
Graphic Design - Environmental
This award celebrates creativity and innovation in the intersection of communication design and the built environment, and is concerned with the visual aspects of wayfinding, communication identity and brands, information design and shaping the idea of place. Consideration given to clarity of communication and the matching of information style to audience.
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