Ole’ generation two, shown here, is a unifying and momentum-building brand evolution of what was the single most important lifestyle supermarket brand in China, Ole’. The original Ole’ brand proved that the concept of an upscale supermarket in China was the viable idea, as traffic and sales performance exceeded all expectations.

The goal of rkd retail/iQ, when concepting Ole’ generation two, was to create a merchandise- and customer service driven-experience, with the designed environment assuming a secondary role. The entire Ole’ concept was reevaluated from the merchandise level out. Categories were combined and the logo refined to enhance the lifestyle and up-market positioning of the brand and to differentiate Ole’ generation two from the competition, including the original Ole’ markets.

That competition was threatening to confuse the Ole’ image as other supermarkets opened, and Ole’ generation one supermarkets were being implemented by other regional divisions of the parent company, China Resources Vanguard, without the same level of discipline and refinement that existed in the original Ole’ flagship location.

With the creation of this Ole’ in the Holiday Plaza Shopping Center the momentum of the original store was regained and the brand objectives realigned.

Located in the center hub of the new plan are fresh food categories of Asian and Western delis, meat, fish/seafood, dairy and fruit/vegetable, while key positioning categories such as wine/tobacco, trend/gift and café/bakery are near the main entrance. The overall customer flow offers multiple circulation patterns and touch points to encourage shoppers to take their time with the many offerings.

The materials and color palettes change according to the merchandise category. Warmer materials such as wood are utilized for coffee/café, bakery, and Western and Asian deli, while more dramatic materials such as brushed copper and aluminum ceiling tiles can be found in the meat, fish, dairy and frozen food categories. Throughout the store full-color lifestyle photography was chosen to enhance the architecture.

rkd retail/iQ was responsible for the strategic brief, all creative expressions, name generation, brand and environmental graphic programs and retail planning plus design and construction documentation. Ole’ is currently being implemented into upscale locations throughout China.