In-store refresh for Scotmid

The co-op, which has more than 250 ‘community-based’ food stores as well as toiletries chain Semi Chem, is aiming to improve its in-store navigation, as well as its in-store and exterior messaging.

The consultancy won the project without a pitch, after Scotmid approached it on the strength of its reputation, according to Elmwood Edinburgh design director Paul Sudron.

He explains that the brief centred on communicating Scotmid’s positioning as being more than a convenience store, and pushing its role at ‘the heart of the community’, with involvement ranging from its support of local breakfast clubs to sponsorship of the Edinburgh Fairtrade Directory.

The Elmwood creative team, under Scotmid format development manager Craig Duncan, has created a new strapline, ‘At the heart of Scottish communities’, to reflect this.

Sudron says that the first step was to take the ‘swoosh’ from the existing identity and develop it into a secondary, but unique, visual device with a link to the existing branding, which remains unchanged.

The device helps to structure the communications and take the customer on a journey, from pavement to point-of-sale, says Sudron.

Across in-store branding, Elmwood has introduced new photography featuring customers as Scotmid ‘advocates’, paying tribute to the role the stores play in their daily lives.

The creative team has also developed a ‘flexible toolkit’ to aid brand implementation, with size and colour application guidelines.

The co-op is also one of the major funeral directors in Scotland and has a property department arm.