Ad agency plays pivotal role in retailer's win

From left to right: Peter Ndoro (MC for the evening), Paul Simpson (Woolworths/SACSC Councilor), Brian Coppin (Founder of Fruit & Veg City), Val Ricciardi (General Manager, Food Lover’s Market, Willow Bridge) , Mike Coppin (Founder of Fruit & Veg City), Chris Lawrence (OMIGPI/ Past President of SACSC).

The award was made at a gala event held at the Vodadome in Midrand on 8 November. Together with the client, the agency conceptualised the layout of the store, as well as the various specialist in-store departments. Many of these ideas came from extensive research done by the agency, while some of the in-store designs were influenced by international trends.

The awards were sponsored by the South African Council of Shopping Centres, as an initiative to honour achievements in innovation, creativity, vision and excellence across all disciplines and all sectors within the South African retail industry.

The store itself is located in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town and has become quite a hotspot for local residents after opening its doors just more than a year ago.

“The fact that we achieved first place just reaffirms that the City Food Lover's Market is a global trendsetter when it comes to fresh food convenience,” said Brian Coppin, who, together with his brother Mike, founded Fruit & Veg City in 1993.

The Food Lover's Market concept made its debut in South Africa at the beginning of last year as an alternative shopping experience for those consumers who wanted to buy gourmet food in a luxurious environment. It is the first South African retail store that is able to compete with the trend-setting retail chains of Europe, North America and Asia.