A leisure experience for animal lovers and their pets: With the innovative store concept in Esslingen, Germany, KÖLLE ZOO created an experience destination for our furry darlings and of course for their masters and mistresses. The new store of the pet supplier offers a curated and pet friendly shopping experience in a feel-good atmosphere with easy orientation. Two agencies of the dan pearlman Group have been responsible for creating the communication and retail architecture of the new KÖLLE ZOO store. The architecture concept “farmhouse” has been developed by the dan pearlman Brand Architecture. The agency stands for holistic and emotional brand experiences. spring brand ideas was responsible for creating a communications concept including all digital and analogue touchpoints.
The pet supplier KÖLLE ZOO counts 21 experience stores in Germany and Austria and is one of the world’s leading pet stores offering advice in the areas of fishkeeping, garden ponds, koi, reptile keeping, dogs, cats, birds and small pets. Since 4 July 2019, the focus is on the Esslingen location and the newly opened innovative branch. On 2,000 square metres, a destination awaits visitors in the Neckar Center Esslingen where the leisure experience of people and their pets is in the foreground. Here, product worlds are authentically staged, and the nature of pets is imparted playfully. Architecture and communications are perfectly matched in the new store. A pet-friendly and species-appropriate design of the different areas is at the heart of the concept. Each pet and product group has its very own and easily distinguishable product and theme island. Next to the clear visual guidance by the colours black and white, materials like spruce wood create a lively and natural ambience. spring brand ideas created a new brand image for KÖLLE ZOO (including logo, key visual, icons, typo, picture and colour world) which results in the rejuvenation of the brand design, tonality and language. The key visual – the little ears of the letter “Ö” in KÖLLE ZOO – makes a congenial impression and has a high recognition value. The imagery puts the pets in the foreground by positioning them on premium plain white or black backgrounds. Icons are well-matched and reduced in number so that the viewer can read them quick and easy. Based on the new brand look, spring brand ideas also developed the POS communication concept, including all communication areas like store facades, instore areas and interactive displays, racks, shopping bags and stand-up displays, the signposting system, print communications and the clothing of the employees. Moreover, a digital signage concept was implemented that shows the online services of KÖLLE ZOO (offers, events and the online shop) on interactive screens. The digital signage concept was realised together with our partners at NORDLAND Systems GmbH (Hardware) and Grassfish Marketing Technologies GmbH (Software). In the KÖLLE ZOO lounge, the important topic of adoption is predominant. Here, customers can get in contact with local animal centres through screens and touchpads. In the future, the adoption initiative will be highlighted even more on the instore screens. The existing KÖLLE ZOO claim “with heart and mind for animals” is not only a promise but is actively realised in the innovative store.
