Brewing a Bold Retail Evolution
Coffee Island - Greece, Cyprus, UK, Canada, Romania, Switzerland, UAE, India, France
What success did we aim to create?
Coffee Island tasked us with transforming its retail experience to stay ahead in an increasingly saturated coffee market. The aim was to deliver a flexible, scalable retail transformation that would enhance the customer journey, highlight Coffee Island’s unique offer of freshly ground beans and home barista products, and drive measurable growth across a global footprint.
How did we create the success?
As a trusted retail design agency, we crafted a new concept centred on clear zoning, modularity, and sensory experience.
Key design strategies included:
- Three-Zone Layout: We restructured the store into three purposeful areas—Coffee Grindery, Espresso Bar, and Collection & Seating—to streamline the customer journey.
- Retail Theatre: Each zone had a distinct tone, with the Espresso Bar designed as a calming ‘laboratory’ to highlight the craft behind the drinks.
- Product Focus: The Coffee Grindery used dark tones and intuitive signage to emphasise loose bean sales, while display fixtures mimicked authentic coffee plantation drying tables.
- Visual Identity: We refreshed the brand palette while preserving key icons like the yellow flower motif, using natural tones to elevate the store facade and interior.
- Lighting Strategy: Customised lighting design reinforced mood, focus, and flow, increasing product visibility and enhancing the brand experience.
What were the results?
The pilot store was launched in Drama, Greece in June 2019. Within five months, 40 redesigned stores were operating across Greece, delivering a revenue increase of 17 to 20 percent. The new concept strengthened Coffee Island’s brand presence, improved customer engagement, and laid the foundation for international expansion.
”KVB Design is a group of experienced, retailed and customer experience oriented professionals, all knowledgeable and high skilled in different Retail & Commercial design areas throughout the whole process; branding & communication, merchandising and sales, interior design & construction. All these attributes are balanced and well served achieving being always on time, on budget and on scope.
Alexandros Zapaniotis - General ManagerCoffee Island
