Design: Begum Seckin
Visualisation: Begum Seckin & Tasneem Elsabaa
Project: Twinings Pop-up Store
Area: 70 sqm
Challenges:
1.Attractive and experience-based design
2.Draw attention to pandemic effects on the retail industry
3.Brand awareness
4.Boost sales
5.Sustainability
6.Ensuring tea’s popularity in the hot beverage industry surpasses that of competing drinks
The Twinings pop-up store was conceived to shed light on the challenges confronting the retail sector post-pandemic and to create a design adaptable to the evolving retail landscape. Notably, Twinings, one of the United Kingdom’s oldest and most esteemed hot beverage brands, was chosen. The primary rationale behind this selection was Twinings' comparatively lower reach to potential buyers and its struggle to keep pace with industry innovations compared to its competitors.
I then focused on creating the most effective layout and pop-up store format that would guide visitors seamlessly through the experience. Opting for a linear layout, inspired by the shape of the Twinings logo, ensured a cohesive design that would effectively direct visitors throughout their journey. I followed a storyboard prepared according to key retail design principles - ‘Curiosity, Explore, Engage, Consider, Purchase’ - crucial for guiding the strategic development of Twinings. The aim here was to illustrate the rationale and process behind the factors shaping the design. So, in order to meet the changing retail sector habits with the pandemic process, a pop-up store was designed where you can spend time, learn new information and taste new flavours, rather than just buying a product.
In the interior design realm, one of the key references is the flowers and plants featured in Twinings' new Superblends series packaging. This choice not only aligns with the logical connection to nature due to the pop-up store's positioning in parks but also facilitates easier appeal to a younger demographic.
The experiential journey begins at the tasting counter, where visitors sample various teas without names to evoke curiosity and create a more enjoyable experience while waiting in line to enter, alluding to the concept of ‘selling while dwelling.’ Subsequently, visitors proceed to the ‘Tea Personali-tea’ area, where they can discover their own tea personalities. (on the left) The same design style used at the entrance of the store is also employed in the shop area at the exit. This approach ensures easy access to products related to the discovered tea personalities. Additionally, the shop area facilitates the creation of personalized gift boxes and includes a giveaway section for each visitor to conclude their experience with a delightful gift.
The third area is the tasting room where beverages are prepared and various flavors can be sampled. The design of this bar area is inspired by Twinings' existing flagship store, aiming to evoke a sense of familiarity for visitors when they visit the store.
The flower garden is one of the most significant zones of the pop-up store. This zone contains information about the environmental and sustainability perspective of the brand, as well as essential brand information. Plants suspended from the ceiling depict the Twinings tea ingredients. The central flowerpots represent recycling. The hidden message here is, ‘All of these ingredients are harvested, processed into the tea in your cups, you drink the tea, then place your cups in this flowerpot, and we will recycle everything and start over’.
The flower garden stands as a paramount area within the pop-up store, housing details concerning the brand’s environmental and sustainability ethos, along with pivotal brand information. Suspended plants from the ceiling symbolize the ingredients found in Twinings tea, while central flowerpots signify recycling. The underlying message conveys a cycle: ‘All these ingredients are harvested, processed into the tea in your cups, once consumed, you place the cups in this flowerpot, and we will recycle everything to start anew.’
Lastly, visitors can make their own customised tea boxes in the shop zone. In addition, there is a one question gift section. Whether the answer is correct or incorrect, each visitor departs the pop-up shop with a small gift.
