Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops

Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont-based super premium ice cream company, operates a franchise community of approximately 200 Scoop Shops nationwide. When it was decided to redesign these ice cream shops for the first time since their inception, our retail design group had to solve several serious operational problems that franchisees were facing.

We performed extensive research on both the server side and customer side of the counter. Every type of retail customer line configuration was analyzed and a system of modular components was developed to maximize server efficiency while serving more customers in less time.

Since each Scoop Shop is situated in an unique location, the flexible component modules were able to adapt to various physical site constraints without changing or diluting the marketing objectives set at the initiation of the project. The use of color to delineate and direct customers to the “business” centers of the line was so successful that same store sales of some high margin upgrades, such as waffle cones, increased 300%.

Special materials were used throughout the shop due to the demanding operational environment that is found in an ice cream shop. Recycled glass floor tiles, recycled marble and plastic chip composite flooring were double-laminated to create countertops, and all natural linoleum was used as wainscotting so that everything could be easily and thoroughly cleaned. Colorful chairs - no two are alike - and tables with fun graphics of company history screened on the table top for customers to read, were custom designed to enhance the spirit of the Ben & Jerry’s brand.

Currently over 75 Scoop Shops have been built with this new design and they continue to outperform older more established shops, as well as the average competitive offering.