Finland’s Alko Undergoes Store Makeover
Finns, the next time you run out buy wine to fill up your stunning iittala Tapio, Stella or Essence wine glasses, you may notice a big change at the Alko shop down the road…
Background: For over 75 years, Alko Inc. has been an entirely State-owned company that basically monopolizes the alcohol market in Finland. Alko controls the retail and distribution of alcoholic beverages containing over 4.7% of alcohol by volume. It operates around 350 stores throughout the country. The primary reason for sole sales rights in Finland are based on reasons related to social and health politics.
Present: Alko’s added focus on service has challenged branding designers to develop a concept that would better serve all the customer groups while departing from the traditional way Alko used to look and operate. The resulting design breaks the conventional style of wine shops that use dark wood and traditional display cases. The new store uses light Douglas fir on all the furniture surfaces, on suspended ceilings and on the floors. Inspiration came from the works of famous designers and architects such as Aalto, Wirkkala and Tapiovaara.
The newly designed flagship store is located next to the Parliament building and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki. To read the full article and see more pictures, click here.