MERKUS
Chain of Grocery Stores
Branding & Illustration
In 2018, we initiated rebranding of Merkus, transforming the traditional grocery chain into a modern retail brand.
Before its revitalization, the brand was valued for its quality and service, but at the same time it was invisible, visually inconsistent and unattractive to new customers.
We identified three key areas that needed to be reworked across the store environment.
We identified three key areas that needed to be reworked across the store environment.
Photos: esopot.pl
The challenge lay in strategic audience expansion: retaining the deep loyalty of older customers while simultaneously attracting a younger generation.
Photography: Karolina Krauze
We anchored the brand strategy in localism. By developing a flexible identity system, we enabled each individual store to present a unique interpretation of the brand, ensuring each location felt deeply integrated into its neighborhood context.
Illustration became the foundation of the brand’s new visual identity. The family of characters (Poseidon, Mermaid, Captain, Pirate, Sailor) recalls the Pomeranian roots of the brand and refers to the context of the place.
Gdańsk Pilotów
Each store is based on local research and collaboration with designers and artisans, including Manufaktura Riwal and WakeupTime studio. Illustrations below are part of Merkus in Gdańsk Pilotów, one of 13 redesigned stores in Tricity. The interior of the store refers to the district famous for its murals.
Ewa Gawroniak - Olejniczak
Ewa Dominiak
Joanna Angulska
Marcin Budziński
Multikolor Gdańsk (making large-format applications)
Karolina Krauze
Render Boys