Organic and natural doesn't mean tie-dye and knotty pine. At the Whole Body sections of Whole Foods Markets nationwide, B&N provides a mix of sustainable woods, low VOC finishes, and modern, stylish solutions.
Through a combination of our Sorbetti System of Uprights and Spanning Panels with Puck Hardware, this high-volume retailer is transformed into a retail experience worthy of the best natural products on the market. Environmental responsibility is key to Whole Foods, as well as B&N, so fixtures were designed to
Spa treatments are displayed on Spanning Puck Panels in frosted acrylic between Sorbetti Uprights with Sliders in wood.
use Eucalyptus wood and other environmentally - sensitive materials.
High volume does not mean the absence of high style. Through an intelligent mixture of custom casework for back stock, and adaptations of our stock systems, we were able to create perimeter and gondola runs that succeed in carrying huge amounts of product.
The Sorbetti System is the "bones" of this project. The Uprights form the structure onto which panels, spanning shelves, and hangrails can be added. Because Sorbetti can be customized to any height, it can be used in tall, perimeter applications and lower, gondola-type runs. It is also used to create freestanding "poles" that feature clothing and skin care accessories.
To keep the adjustability to a maximum, Puck Panels were spanned between the Sorbetti Uprights. The Pucks were installed on the panels at a 6" on center vertical spacing, allowing shelving and hardware to be micro adjusted to accommodate various product heights.
In other situations along the perimeter, where the wall material or color was an important design element, Spanning shelves and hangrails were installed on the Sorbetti Uprights. This allows the backdrop to be visible, and "floats" the product in front of it. It also allows product to be placed into the window. This creates line-of-sight into the store from outside, as seen in the background of the photo to the right.
Another solution to creating a more open, inviting feel was to use frosted acrylic for all the spanning Puck Panels. In situations where the wall material is rich and textural, such as the pebble mosaic shown at left, a muted soft background was created.
Also used as the back panels on the "gondola" runs, the frosted acrylic allows light to pass through, allowing a lighter, airy feel to the extremely dense merchandising, as shown at right.
The frosted acrylic also allows endcaps to be illuminated, as seen at right. This highlights the product, and brings a "beauty" focus to the merchandise. The tight vertical spacing of the Pucks allows maximum adjustment of the shelves.
Gondola runs are produced using the Sorbetti Spanning System with wood Sliders stained to match the bamboo wood cabinetry.
We discovered, throughout the ongoing roll-outs of this program, how adaptable the Sorbetti System was to Whole Foods specific needs, from densly-packed runs along the wall, to more sparsely merchandised apparel areas.
The combination of natural finishes and modern materials brings earth-friendly into the present day. Sensitive to the needs of Whole Foods, and the planet, B&N continues to grow with this leader in the natural and organic retail arena.
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