Project Overview

The Tea Centre is a Mecca for discerning tea drinkers, supplying them with premium teas from all over the world. To appeal to these aspirational customers McCartney Design completely re-thought the Tea Centre look, feel and customer journey.

Organisation

McCartney Design

Team

Gary McCartney - Creative Director
Tarquin Willis - Design Director
Lauren Gelling - Designer
Emma Greenstein - Designer
Retail Oasis - Strategy
Sinéad Kelly - Client Services Director

Project Brief

To truly understand the brief we immersed ourselves in the world of tea. We looked at its history and traditions, particularly the rituals of brewing and tasting. The result is a combination of traditional elements with very contemporary thinking on circulation and the customer journey.

To respond to an irregular lease line we devised a shopfront that echoes the shape of the tea tins and traditional store window design. It’s made from perforated metal, which, like a teabag, allows aromas to diffuse out from the store to the surrounding mall.

Tradition is reflected in the overall look and finishes of the store.

Project Innovation/Need

In terms of retail design we have introduced several innovative elements. In a commercial environment where retail rents are a huge part of business overheads we have maximised selling space. There is no stock room: all back stock is held in cupboards under counter level.

The big departure from tradition is in the customer journey. There is no conventional counter to create a barrier between brew master and tea drinker: customers are allowed access to all parts of the store including the traditional “wall of tea.” Both self-serve and personal service are catered for. In place of the counter a large central fixture is reserved for brewing, tasting and conversation.

The innovation is in the integration of merchandise and store design and in the customer journey. The tea is merchandised in traditional tins and the shape of the store also reflects this shape. The gold finish of the tins was selected as part of the colour palate of the shop- and in turn the shop design dictated the design of the tins! In the layout this shop blurs the boundary between retail and hospitality. The shopping experience is truly sensory as the customer gets every opportunity to see, smell and taste teas before buying.

Design Challenge

The main challenge as we saw it was to integrate all of the tradition and history behind the merchandise without making a traditional or replica store. Our brief was to make a very contemporary offer, something that customers would immediately recognise as new and exciting.

Sustainability

The modular store has been designed to minimise waste and environmental impact.

Use of modular unfinished plywood panels for the joinery components references the traditional packaging of tea in plywood chests, and presents a good sustainability outcome: we have minimised the use of non reusable and non recyclable components and materials- especially plastics. Also contributing to sustainability is the lighting system, which provides the right amount of targeted, product-focused lighting from LED sources. And using a local shopfitter minimised carbon emissions due to travel.