Client ASDA
Project Role Design, Retail Delivery, BRPD and CDM
Scale 61,000 sq. ft
Status Complete
Asda set out to refresh and futureproof one of its existing stores with a view to improving navigation, modernising the environment, and enhancing the overall customer experience while maintaining uninterrupted day-to-day trading. The brief was clear: create a brighter, more intuitive shopping journey that reflects evolving customer expectations and establishes a benchmark for future refurbishments across the wider estate.
The existing layout no longer fully supported how customers shop today. Departments had become fragmented, sightlines were limited, and the overall environment lacked the clarity and warmth expected of a contemporary retail setting. At the same time, the store remained a busy, high-performing asset. Any intervention needed to respect operational realities, minimise disruption, and protect revenue throughout the works.
The opportunity lay in using targeted, design-led investment to unlock both visual impact and operational improvement proving that refurbishment, when approached strategically, can be as transformative as new build.
Redefining the shopping journey
We began by developing a clear and coordinated scope of works, carefully interrogating the existing store model and aligning it with the proposed layout. Through detailed finishes drawings and technical coordination, we ensured that every intervention however small contributed to a cohesive whole. As Contract Administrators, we worked closely with Asda’s internal teams, contractors, and suppliers, maintaining open communication and rigorous quality control from concept through to completion.
Phasing and programme management were central to our approach. We structured the works in carefully sequenced stages, enabling the store to remain fully operational while construction progressed around it. Temporary routes, clear wayfinding, and proactive stakeholder coordination ensured that customers could shop safely and confidently throughout. This disciplined planning reduced disruption and maintained momentum on site.
The reconfigured layout consolidates the food hall, simplifying the customer journey and creating stronger visual connections between departments. By lowering chilled produce units, we improved sightlines across the space and enhanced accessibility for all users. A newly defined wine and spirits zone introduces clarity and identity, encouraging dwell time and strengthening the overall retail offer.
Upgrades to the George and General Merchandise departments bring a more contemporary expression to these key areas, aligning them with evolving brand aspirations. New feature lighting, refreshed signage, and suspended timber rafts introduce warmth, texture, and rhythm softening the scale of the retail floor while reinforcing legibility. Together, these elements create a modern, spacious environment that feels both organised and welcoming.
A defining addition is the first-ever ‘Asda Kitchen’ café concept. Positioned as a social anchor within the store, it offers a contemporary dining experience with flexible ordering options, supporting a broader shift towards experiential retail. The café enhances dwell time and repositions the store as more than a place to shop—it becomes a place to meet, pause, and connect.
A fresh experience
The completed store has been met with positive feedback from both customers and the client, with the scheme already recognised internally as a new benchmark for future refurbishments. The transformation delivers more than a refreshed aesthetic; it provides clearer navigation, improved product visibility, and a more enjoyable, intuitive shopping experience.
Operationally, the project demonstrates how careful planning and collaborative delivery can drive improvement without interrupting trade. Commercially, it strengthens brand perception and supports long-term performance.
This project highlights the value of thoughtful, human-centric design within an existing retail footprint. By balancing operational constraints with creative ambition, we have helped shape a brighter, more customer-focused environment setting a confident and practical precedent for the evolution of Asda’s estate.
