One Off: independent retail design

Global Convenience Store Focus teams up with Clare Dowdy, author of independent retail design book, One Off, to showcase individual and cutting edge food stores from around the world. Next up is Slice, an upmarket, international deli in Shanghai, China.

Above: striking interior design and packaging

Slice is the brainchild of David Laris, a former top London chef. Laris moved to China in 2003 to open a restaurant but was challenged to find good quality foods.

“I saw a huge gap in the market,” he says. “It made sense to develop a retail concept to bring more products into the country and then use them in the restaurant.”

The first Slice outlet opened in a Shanghai suburb in 2006 in an upmarket neighbourhood.

The initial concept has been aimed at expats and returnees but the eventual goal is to attract locals with a taste for good quality foods and fresh produce.

The product offer is international and gourmet featuring Stilton, Roquefort and Manchego cheeses; Serrano and Parma hams; foie gras; San Pellegrino beverages; Penfolds wine and Champagne from Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot.

As well as the western lines, the store also offers top Asian products and all the signage and communication in store is bilingual, English and Mandarin.

The design aims to bridge the gap between traditional street markets and modern supermarkets.

The store has a striking glass frontage and bold double doors featuring the Slice logo, all reflected in a pool of water.

Striking glass front

Inside, the space is divided into three rooms: a central cashier, marketplace and deli.

The central area features wooden screens, an integral part of Chinese domestic spaces. The marketplace area features tables and chairs and the deli is covered in a canopy.

Above: gourmet food displays

Provenance and authenticity cues are strong in store and supported by tastings and demonstrations.

“It’s our strong desire to connect with the customer, to build a relationship and be their local grocer while still drawing on an international knowledge of food and professional service,” says Laris.

His expansion plans are bullish too – a target for 20 Slice stores within the next five years and a further four in other south East Asian countries.

One Off by Clare Dowdy is published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd and priced at £30. To order a copy, visit www.laurenceking.co.uk