������ýŮ��

WSS (Warehouse Shoe Store) has been serving SoCal communities for decades, building authentic connections within neighborhoods that were often overlooked by competitors. Looking to expand beyond their home territory, WSS wanted a new store experience to help them grow. With an unbeatably broad offering, the existing store could be hard to navigate, especially for new shoppers. Although that offering included the latest styles, consumers were more likely to give them credit for being great on value. And competitors were beginning to encroach on WSS territory, attempting to mimic their community-based approach and appealing to younger consumers. The new store needed to amplify the experience without sacrificing the authentic community connection WSS spent over half a century creating.

SLD’s approach was to create an experience that makes the broad selection of products at WSS the hero. By simplifying the store, the shop becomes easier and inspirational. And at WSS, community is the heartbeat of the brand, and this needed to come through. By celebrating the local area through signage, featured products, and a custom art piece at the checkout, we reinforce WSS’s impressive community commitments.

At the exterior, a bold red architectural entryway acts as a beacon. A large lit logo sign with the brand tagline “Your neighborhood shoe store” reinforces the brand’s unique value and community focus. Popular brand logos flank the doors, building excitement. Upon entering, a full-family display features a “something for everyone” lifestyle vignette. From there, zones are clearly visible with strong signage against a clean backdrop around the perimeter. Strong pops of color and pattern in key locations create a vibrant energy without overwhelming the space. Community is reinforced throughout the store, a large community message in the brand shop, and a giant map of the local area featured behind the cash desk.

COBS has a winning recipe for success: every day, each location bakes its own goods from scratch on site.
You just can’t get bread, scones, and pastries this fresh from a centralized bakery. Every location has a large back-of-house, leaving a small storefront where staff deliver a full-service experience that’s also unbeatable. With a high volume of product to sell every day, our first challenge was to maximize space effectiveness. The second was to amplify the promise of freshly baked goods, every day, on site.

We enhanced the back wall behind the counter, allowing a view of the bakers in action through shelves of freshly baked bread. In the old design, queueing customers blocked the view of under-the-counter display cases. Using height to our advantage, a glass tower elevates the baked goods, making them visible from anywhere, even the street. A mobile prep table allows staff to complete tasks, such as icing scones, while still being visible and available to customers. And a rich burgundy tile backdrop is tagged with a simple message: BAKED TODAY IN THIS BAKERY.

Some COBS customers want to browse, while others quickly make their purchase. We shifted the front counter to one side, creating clearer separation for full-service. The grab-and-go area, now larger, was enhanced with custom fixtures to show off popular items. A menu board with thoughtful graphics supports product storytelling for best sellers and seasonal items, and a dedicated online order area with clear signage streamlines pickups.

The result: a bakery experience that celebrates the COBS commitment to freshness, service, and community.
Every aspect of the design was carefully chosen to elevate what makes COBS unique. From framing the toasted hues of bread in the burgundy tile, to signage and storytelling graphics throughout the store, to human-centred service design, the new bakery packs a lot of impact into a small footprint.