Waitrose

Waitrose is a major UK supermarket chain that serves as a prime example of physical retail adapting to the global moderation trend and the rise of zebra-striping consumer behavior.

In response to shifting consumer habits, Waitrose announced a significant restructuring of its physical store layouts, actively reducing allocated shelf space for traditional beer and wine to give non-alcoholic products 60% more space.

To aid consumer navigation and address visual-thresholds-for-consumer-confusion, Waitrose introduced designated alcohol-free areas marked with bright blue signage across 253 of its shops. This visual cue echoes the historical branding legacy established by becks-blue, utilizing color psychology to clearly demarcate the non-alcoholic category within the broader visual-merchandising-beverage strategy.