Costa to open first new look ‘Metro’ store

Costa to revolutionise current provincial design to meet the needs of city customers

Costa has announced a new strategy to boost its presence in metropolitan areas by launching new look stores that focus on fulfilling the specific needs of city customers.

While Costa has enjoyed a successful year with sales increasing by 23.4%, research revealed an opportunity for the brand to better meet the requirements of customers in urban areas.

Following the research, Costa identified the main needs of its city customers. ‘Metro’ stores used predominately by take away customers will focus on speed of service and incorporate express till areas for customers in a hurry. City stores frequented by shoppers or those wanting business meetings will offer a more relaxed atmosphere with zoned seating areas. Some stores with mixed use will be a hybrid of the two designs.

The first new look ‘Metro’ store on Great Portland Street, London will open its doors to the public on 9th July. A sleek hybrid design, the store makes a clear departure from Costa’s current interior design. It will offer both relaxed seating and meeting areas as well as quick express areas to meet the different customer occasions. Clive Bentley, Costa Property Director, comments: “We have embarked on our new ‘metropolitan’ project that will bring radically different store designs to the main Costa estate. The city customer is looking for convenience, great coffee and a quick service. Our new design will be recognizably differentiated from our competitors. Layout will clearly reflect the customer segmentation and needs. While we want to create a sleek, modern feel - coffee will remain at the heart of the design.

Targeting a multicultural city audience, the first ‘Metro’ store will have a toned down reference to the established Costa brand, instead drawing inspiration from ‘found materials’ at the site’s location such as exposed brick work, glass and stone. Conveying a feeling of uniqueness, the store will introduce a modern Tone of Voice to the customer journey.

In early autumn, Costa will completely re-image a store in the City of London which sees a high volume of takeaway sales. Continuing the ‘Metro’ concept, the design and layout will aim to increase speed of service for those on the go.