Wren & Rowe packs Safeway range

Safeway has unveiled the first evidence of Wren & Rowe’s redesign of its main fresh and chilled produce ranges this week, with ‘cold eating deli meals’ going on-shelf ahead of further roll-outs this autumn.

According to Wren & Rowe managing director Paul Foulkes-Arellano, the project marks a major revamp of some of the supermarket’s key offerings.

‘We’ve been looking at the first four aisles [of the supermarket] and re-examining completely the colour code for delivering those,’ he says.

Safeway design manager Karen Graley says, ‘The work encompasses fruit and veg, as the consumer would understand it, but also [prepared salads] and ready-meals, which we’ve linked into the overall feel.’

The aim was to achieve a ‘consistent look’ and a ‘bright colour palette’, she adds. The work reflects the growing importance of photography in the packaging of many basic items. Graley says it is being increasingly used ‘where produce is [apparently] less appetising’.

‘It’s so competitive in the sector now that if you’re not using photography, it’s not going to sell,’ Foulkes-Arellano adds. ‘Just plain colour-coding doesn’t do it anymore in a supermarket context.’

Photography is by Graham Precey and the senior designer on the project was Emma Colwell. A roster consultancy, Wren & Rowe began work in January.