Global Retail Experiences

Redefining the coffee experience for an international audience

Imagination partnered with Costa Coffee as their Global Creative Partner to support their international expansion. We designed and delivered a flexible suite of retail formats to scale the brand globally, ranging from immersive flagship stores in Shanghai and Tokyo to automated Smart Cafes in the US and a revolutionary Drive Thru 2.0 concept.

Costa Coffee wanted to enter the US market and grow and evolve the experience in the UK and China. They needed a scalable retail strategy that captured their heritage and passion for coffee, while adapting to distinct local cultures and changing consumer habits.

Designing the flagship experience

We designed immersive coffee and retail stores for Shanghai and Tokyo. The Costa House concept brought the brand story to life, creating a welcoming, multisensory environment that encouraged social interaction whilst driving awareness via local word-of-mouth in new markets.

Reinventing the drive-thru

Our team developed a new Drive Thru concept to optimise Costa’s most commercially attractive format. We designed a flexible, modular plug-and-play concept that scaled from small footprints to double-deck designs. This customer-centric approach provides a fast, seamless service.

Showcasing quality coffee on the go

We created a Smart Cafe vision to introduce Costa’s barista-quality coffee to the US market. We designed single and double-surround units for unmanned Costa Express machines. With a rollout of over 1,000 units, the design helps break the everyday autopilot coffee habits of busy consumers by delivering premium coffee at speed.

Localising the brand identity

We developed a playful, global illustration style to give regional stores a distinct sense of place. This local approach inspired the Seattle Airport store, which features regional mineral reds and reclaimed wood.

For the audience

Coffee lovers got a reliable, uplifting experience tailored to their day, whether they are relaxing in a flagship courtyard or grabbing a fast coffee on the go.

For the brand

Costa Coffee successfully expanded their international footprint with a flexible suite of retail formats, rolling out over 1,000 Smart Cafes and 300 Drive Thru locations globally.