The Market Lands DSG its Second Retail Design Award

Supervalu-owned Design Services Group (DSG) last week was recognized for its work on The Market, a Plymouth, Mass.-based upscale, small-format gourmet food store featuring vintage barn-style architecture and rustic décor.

The design group won the Outstanding Merit award during the 2009 A.R.E. Retail Design Awards at GlobalShop, held in Las Vegas. The award (which stands for “Association for Retail Environments”) recognizes excellence in store design, craftsmanship and innovation. This is the second time Design Services Group has been awarded an A.R.E. Retail Design Award: it won a grocery store category award in 2006 for its design of Highland Park Market in Windsor, Conn.

“We wanted The Market’s environment to be inviting and authentic, but not over-the-top,” explained DSG creative director Harry Steen. “We were careful to make sure that the look did not overpower the food.”

DSG enlisted a local craftsman to provide vintage sandblasted wood signage, a style common to 19th century New England. The store’s flooring is split between vinyl hardwood and dyed concrete slabs with a weathered matte finish that evokes the look of worn leather. Other notable design elements include a hayloft-style bakery and cheese island, aisle end caps modeled after old farmhouse bureaus and a custom 16-foot ceiling fan that circulates air throughout the store.

Dramatic spot lighting completes the store’s look with warm gondola lights lining the shelves. DSG also employed directional spotlighting to focus shoppers’ attention on select fixtures and merchandise.

Despite the space limitations of this small-format store, DSG Equipment Services selected a complement of specialty service equipment enabling The Market to provide full-service deli and meats, along with a healthy selection of prepared foods and fresh produce. To effectively showcase The Market’s high-quality products, DSG Equipment Services chose merchandisers with exceptional sight lines and display lighting.

DSG provided store planning, interior design and décor, architecture and engineering services, project management, and equipment procurement for The Market.