Situation
In 2015, Kroger was strategically responding to Whole Foods' market expansion by developing a new small-concept store called Main & Vine in Gig Harbor, Washington. This experimental retail concept aimed to differentiate itself from traditional Kroger stores by emphasizing fresh, organic foods and creating a community-centered shopping experience. The concept required a digital presence that would break away from Kroger's conventional design language and offer a more modern, user-friendly interface. The project was considered highly strategic and operated under confidential conditions, with dedicated team members working separately from the main Kroger digital teams to ensure focused development and maintain competitive secrecy.
Task
As a designer on a two-person team, my specific responsibility was to design the Main & Vine mobile application. The app needed to showcase the store's unique features including special offers, community events, cooking classes, and an order-ahead deli service. My challenge was to create an interface that would feel distinctly different from the existing Kroger app—more contemporary, visually appealing, and aligned with the fresh, community-oriented brand identity of Main & Vine. The design needed to effectively communicate the store's value proposition while providing practical functionality that would enhance the customer experience and drive engagement with the new concept.
Action
Our team collaborated extensively with the design lead to ensure consistency across digital platforms while maintaining my focus on the mobile application. We conducted rapid design iterations, creating wireframes and high-fidelity mockups that showcased the app's key features. I designed intuitive navigation flows for the event calendar, special offers section, and order-ahead functionality, ensuring each element reflected the fresh, community-focused ethos of the Main & Vine brand. Working under tight deadlines, we maintained regular communication with stakeholders to gather feedback and refine the design, ultimately completing the app design within an accelerated three-month timeframe while delivering what was leading innovation in in-store mobile-first shopping experiences in 2016.
Result
Though the Main & Vine concept store eventually closed and did not expand beyond its pilot location, the mobile application successfully achieved its objectives during the store's operation. The app effectively connected customers to the store's unique offerings and community events, enhancing the overall shopping experience. More importantly, the innovative features and design elements we developed for Main & Vine proved valuable beyond the pilot project—several components were subsequently incorporated into the roadmap for the main Kroger mobile application. This transfer of concepts demonstrated that our work had lasting impact on Kroger's digital strategy, despite the discontinuation of the specific store concept. The project also provided Kroger with valuable insights about digital engagement in specialty grocery environments and established design patterns that influenced future digital initiatives within the company.
