Page 39 - July 2021

Sparkasse, Eppan, North Italy

bespoke solution to enable food retailers to adapt and change the 50/50 level between retail and food services.
layout of complex food service environments with greater speed In the coming months they will launch a new store in Hawaii for
and efficiency. Foodland along with a big department store in Dublin, Ireland for a
“We have also made important investments in recent months, one famous retailer and a new Coop site in Italy. An important move for
of them being the purchase of a renowned design agency to help the business as they look to grow in the North American market is
develop our services and our presence in the market as well as to a partnership with Sobeys, the number two food retailer in Canada
expand our offer in the food market industry,” explains Bernhard and they will be launching a site near Toronto towards the end of
Schweitzer, CEO and Owner of Interstore | Schweitzer. “In addition, the year.
an office has been launched in London to provide us with greater When discussing the blurring of the line between digital and
access to design talent and so we can be closer to UK clients in the physical shopping, Watts explains that shoppers today have so much
future. We are also set to open North American offices in Toronto at their fingertips that stores need to focus on two things.
for Interstore as well as for Schweitzer as we view the North “Firstly, to offer an experience that is fully compatible with
American market as a key location for us in the coming years.” supporting an excellent overall shopper journey across multiple
One of the business’s more recent completions was for Migros, channels and secondly, stores must embrace their unique
the number one retailer in Switzerland where they designed and characteristics as ‘real world’ assets in order to compliment growing
delivered BRIDGE, a unique and never-before-seen concept in the digital demands. Retailers need to offer more ‘desire moments’ and
country. Spanning 2,000sq m, the space has been conceived as a reasons for customers to make the journey.”
connector between a diverse fresh food market, creative local start- While they have incredibly strong roots in the food industry, around
ups and store events. The store motto is “Meet Food, Meet Market, 30 to 35 per cent of the total turnover of the group comes from
Meet People” positioning Bridge as the No1 meeting place for food non-food retail, particularly in the fashion and technology sectors.
lovers in Zurich. Their newest avenue is working with banks, which has brought them
“Migros has over 800 stores in Switzerland and they now use great success and has quickly become a very interesting segment for
BRIDGE as a sort of laboratory where they can try new assortments, the company.
new kinds of services and utilise our Flexstore™ system. They Building and maintaining long lasting and strong partnerships with
can use BRIDGE as a testing ground before rolling new ideas and their clients is the key for the group’s success on an international
concepts out to their wider store portfolio,” Schweitzer says. level along with their unique approach which keeps them ahead
“More than ever, retailers need to identify the elements of of their competition in the fit-out industry. “It is our clients that
experience that can separate them from competition. The best continually push us constantly to new frontiers because they know
examples of ‘iconic’ attention-grabbing experience design is when we can come up with innovative and creative ideas.” Also, another
the emphasis is placed on the part that represents the key brand/ important contributing factor to the company’s success are its
touchpoint of difference that relates to the place, the offer/product employees which are the driving force behind all their projects.
and the customer in that location. BRIDGE is an excellence example The retail landscape is undergoing a radical change. Looking to
of this,” adds Nathan Watts, Creative Director for Interstore | the future, Schweitzer and Watts both state that online will be one
Schweitzer and Founder of the London studio. of the huge change drivers over the next couple of years, especially
Other recent projects include the opening of the Central Food for the investment of their clients who need to adapt to the rapidly
Hall Ladprao in Bangkok for Central Group as well as the launch of evolving shopper needs and to the way they experience and look
a large hypermarket for EDEKA in Bremen in Northern Germany, at stores. “There is a lot of work for the industry and for us in the
where the offer is made up of 70 per cent retail and 30 per cent future and I am positive about the fundamental role that retail will
gastronomic and food services. The next store in this partnership continue to play in society. We are ready.”, says Schweitzer.
will be opened in September in Berlin and it will operate on a more www.interstore-schweitzer.com

Edeka Weserpark, Bremen, Dunnes Stores Stephen’s Green,
North Germany Dublin

RETAIL AND LEISURE INTERNATIONAL AUgUST 2021