food hall by Rajeshwari from india

For the love of food

If the globetrotting habits of the urban Indian consumers have exposed them to international cuisines, the rise of food-based television programming has only further whetted their appetite for exotic foods. With these confirmed markers of a growing fine food market, a space to allow consumers to truly experience such foods couldn’t have been far behind. Foodhall, a gourmet superstore, by Future Group, is an energetic place, thriving with the smells of baking, cooking, coffee, tea, spices and other fine foods.

Inaugurated in May 2012, the Foodhall store in Bangalore was co-created by Idiom Design and Consulting and Future Group. Mentored by Sonia Manchanda, Co-founder and Principal Designer at Idiom, Foodhall was envisioned by the Idiom team as a sensorial experience in food.

As a greater number of consumers are experimenting with food, Idiom believed that it was absolutely necessary to help them expand their knowledge on a variety of ingredients and foods. Towards this, the communication in the store runs deep – percolating to the levels of sight, touch, smell and taste. The design goes much beyond just arranging foods in a palatable fashion. It allows consumers to sample oils, cheese, cereals and other tasty treats, and learn about a variety of exotic ingredients and their suitability for different cuisines.

Graphics, product displays, fixtures, communication and all other elements of the design were tied together in unison to create a sense of warmth and to reflect the love of food. Typeface of the graphics was labored to give a hand-crafted feel to the space. The graphic imagery in the store was carefully designed to radiate warmth. Gondolas, mainly used for stock-keeping were intelligently designed to double up as live spaces for sampling foods such as olive oils and cheese.

Proposing to transform Foodhall into an interactive space was a winner of an idea. There are demo stations where chefs cut vegetables, chop meat, and grate coconut for consumers. In the bakery and the patisserie section, they bake fresh breads, baguettes, etc. to suit the taste and preference of everyone.

A definitive feature of Foodhall is the general merchandising section replete with a range of crockery and cookware that aptly complements the endless selection of foods. Occupying close to half of the space in the Bangalore store, the general merchandising section is a first for a food store of this nature.

A shopping experience designed to reflect the love of food, Foodhall has registered a good uptake among the progressive set of consumers in Bangalore. Events like wine-tasting and learn-to-cook with sommeliers and expert chefs have helped the store grow consistently over the months.

Interesting times are ahead of the store with the newly launched campaign on food gifting. This concept aims to introduce Indian consumers to the joy of gifting food in innovatively designed packaging.