Dive Brief:
- Freshies, a Maine-based convenience store chain, has launched a new c-store design at its flagship location in Bangor, according to an announcement from design firm Paragon Solutions, which is coordinating the project.
- The 7,600 square-foot format features a refined visual identity, an elevated foodservice offering that includes new proprietary brands, an upgraded coffee program and a beer cave, according to the announcement.
- Freshies plans to expand this new format to other stores in the future,with additional sites currently in the design phase, said John McCauley, partner and director of brand design at Paragon Solutions, in an email.
Dive Insight:
While Freshies has focused on fresh food for decades, the new design highlights foodservice even more with the introduction of proprietary brands Sweet Treats Bakery, Frankly Fresh Hot Dogs and a new Grab & Go Pizza area.
The bakery program was already doing well for Freshies but “had no real identity of its own,” said McCauley. In the new design, these bakery items have their own name and visual brand, along with a prominent location in the store.
“It's one of the first things you notice when you walk through the door, which is exactly the point,” said McCauley in the email. “It also sits adjacent to the new coffee program, a deliberate placement that sets the tone for the store right out of the gate.
Freshies had previously used a vendor-branded roller grill setup, but decided to bring that program in house with the Frankly Fresh brand.
Although Freshies was already doing made-to-order whole pizzas and grab and go slices, the new store features a grab-and-go program for whole pies and with dedicated space alongside the kitchen.
“Freshies was already known for great food — the ask was how to make that the first thing every customer sees, feels, and remembers when they walk in the door,” said McCauley in the announcement.
The next site using this design is being built from the ground up, which will give Paragon and Freshies more latitude to push the concept further.
Freshies, which currently operates more than 20 sites around Maine, also updated its logo. The previous version had been used as the deli brand for years before being elevated to the full-store identity. With the current refresh, the retailer decided to give it a facelift as well.
McCauley said in the email that the updated logo “retains the handcrafted script and the tomato icon that gave the brand its personality, while bringing a more refined, confident feel that can carry the weight of a full store brand.”
