Lab Store - Live and Breathe Works with Morrisons to Create the Store of the Future

Lab Store: Live & Breathe Works with Morrisons to Create the Store of the Future

Creative agency, Live & Breathe has been appointed by Morrisons as part of the grocer's fresh foods pilot currently trialling at its Kirkstall store in Leeds. Kirkstall is one of three current "lab" projects whose learnings will inform the development of a "store of the future."

The agency has been briefed to deliver striking and engaging communications that will help change customers' perceptions of Morrisons fresh food credentials, and support the grocer's groundbreaking work across all fresh foods categories in its Kirkstall store. Live & Breathe has worked with Montana Vistas, a North American fresh food merchandising specialist engaged by Morrisons for this pilot initiative whose remit covers the entire look and feel of communications, spanning colour schemes to customer education to category messaging, signage and POS collateral.

Live & Breathe is working with Morrisons to bring a modern, contemporary feel to its fresh foods offer. Traditional messaging has been replaced by arresting statements and visual cues. For its butchers, these include; "we're control freaks" and "you'll like it or else." These and other similar cheeky statements are designed to prompt conversation, allowing master butchers to explain how they manage their meat supply from farm to fork and its money-back guarantee for anything less than total satisfaction.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed where possible loose, market-style in open containers, together with details of provenance, drawing shoppers in via bold colours and textures. Where beneficial, some of the fruit and veg is kept 'on the rocks' on top of ice beds that keep it fresher for longer.

Fresh food and other categories have each been assigned a colour that appears on the bulkheads running throughout "Market Street," Morrisons' in-store re-creation of a traditional shopping street with a focus on individual specialists. Communications within each category take their cue from this leading colour, using signature tones and accents to build consistency and familiarity.

A chalkboard approach has been used to bring to life Morrisons' credentials as the only supermarket to employ traditional professional fishmongers, bakers and butchers. A photograph and name of each Morrisons specialist together with a short introduction to consumers appears within these departments.

"Morrisons is really pushing the boundaries to change the way fresh produce is merchandised in store," commented Kenny Cox, Live & Breathe group account director. "Part of the excitement of being involved in a pilot of this kind is that everything is up for grabs and experimentation is the name of the game. We are constantly adapting and fine-tuning the concept in line with learnings as we go along. It's a massive privilege to be involved in such a groundbreaking project which will play a part in shaping Morrisons' inspirational 'store of the future.'"

"As shopper marketing experts, Live & Breathe understands the retail environment inside out," added Ben Hurley, Morrisons marketing promotions and activity manager. "Not only that, they understand consumer behaviour in the retail environment and are proving to be a wonderful partner for Morrisons as we endeavour to change the face of supermarket shopping."