Opinion BY Armin

Follow-up: Rebel

I originally posted about Rebel in the B-Side on Monday, which I thought was an interesting redesign but there wasn’t much info about it. At the end of the day I had more info. To recap who Rebel is: Established in 1985 with a single store in Bankstown, NSW, Rebel — retailer of sporting and leisure equipment, apparel and footwear — now has 90 stores across Australia with over 4,500 employees and by the end of 2017 they aim to have over 180 stores open. The new identity started appearing in November and now is in full swing. It was designed by Sydney-based Hulsbosch and the retail store and interiors by neighboring firm McCartney Design.

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A B-Side BY Armin

Rexall

About: (Est. 1904, Canada) “Katz Group Canada Ltd. is a leading drugstore operator with a dynamic history of innovation and growth. Our flagship chain, Rexall, is among the most trusted names in pharmacy with a heritage of serving the health care needs of the community through patient and medication services and quality health products since 1904. Katz Group Canada Ltd. is proudly Canadian owned and operated with more than 400 convenient Rexall and Rexall Pharma Plus locations across Central and Western Canada and more than 8,500 employees.”

Design by: N/A.

Ed.’s Notes: No press release and no change on their site yet, but their store in the renovated First Canadian Place in Toronto shows the new logo (below or after the jump).

Relevant links: N/A.

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A B-Side BY Armin

Rebel

About: (Est. 2010) “Rebel offers a wide range of the latest release, quality, branded sporting and leisure goods. With an extensive list of product categories for the casual and serious fitness enthusiast, Rebel’s range includes fitness equipment, sports equipment, apparel and associated accessories for both the casual enthusiast and serious competitor. [It] has grown to become an extensive network of more than 90 stores located in every state and territory in Australia with the exception of the Northern Territory & Tasmania”

Design by: N/A.

Ed.’s Notes: See what they did there? The second “e” is flipped, going against the grain. You know, like a rebel.

Relevant links: N/A.

Thanks to Jarrad Langdon for the tip.

Opinion BY Armin

It’s a Bookworld After All

Owned by Pearson Australia Group after it purchased the Australian Borders and Angus & Robertson online businesses in 2011, Bookworld is an online book, music, and video retailer with over half a million existing customers and a focus on Australian authors and artists. It also has a very clear target of beating Amazon by offering lower prices and free delivery. Earlier this Fall, Bookworld introduced a new identity designed by Interbrand Australia.

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Opinion BY Armin

SSG: Health- and Design-Conscious

Established this year in the Chungdam neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea, SSG Food Market is a health-conscious food establishment that sells domestic and seasonal fresh food, traditional native food and eco-friendly products, health products with no chemical additives, and more. SSG’s identity, packaging, and environment have been designed by New York, NY-based Mucca.

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A B-Side BY Armin

Marsh

About: (Est. 1931) “Headquartered in Indianapolis, Marsh operates 78 Marsh Supermarkets and 3 O’Malia’s Food Markets in Indiana and Ohio. We also manage 16 MainStreet Market locations. The largest pharmacy chain based in the state of Indiana, Marsh has forty-one pharmacy locations. Marsh has the distinction of being the first grocery store in the world to use electronic scanners to ring up purchases. Nearly 9,000 employees serve two million customers weekly.”

Design by: N/A.

Ed.’s Notes: Newspaper ad, old and new, below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: N/A.

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Opinion BY Armin

eBay Settles for Lowest Bid

Established in 1995, eBay is “the world’s largest online marketplace” with 100 million active users around the world that have generated over $10 billion through 350 million listings in seventeen years. I have contributed many times, most notably the purchase of an Atari 2600 in 2001 — not as fun as I remembered it being in 1982. But I digress. eBay has evolved from an auction-only dynamic — that could create some of the most heart-pounding moments in e-commerce if you really cared about getting an item — to a less-than-exciting but very powerful shopping platform with “Buy It Now!” buttons with fixed prices that now account for 65% of items sold. Going to Best Buy is easier and gets you better prices sometimes. With a new website and online experience reportedly coming in mic-October, eBay has announced a new logo designed by Lippincott. A dedicated announcement page is here.

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Opinion BY Armin

A Smile from L to L

Established in 1905, Carulla is a chain of grocery stores across Colombia with 76 locations and 6,000 employees. This past Friday, it introduced a revised identity designed by Bogotá, Colombia-based SmartBrands that will roll out in a dozen stores first.

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Opinion BY Armin

Eye Candy, Literally

The Grand America is a luxury hotel in Salt Lake City, UT. With 775 rooms, the 24-story hotel is one of the select few to earn the title of AAA Five Diamond Hotel. Apart from fancy rooms with “Murano crystal chandeliers, handcrafted Richelieu furniture, English wool carpets, Carrera Italian marble, and the finest fabrics,” the hotel features a handful of high-end stores, including the brand new JouJou: A Curious Boutique for Toys and Treats. Local firm Struck was in charge of developing this whole new little world.

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A B-Side BY Armin

Buscapé

Founded in 1990 and known best for their price comparison website, Buscapé is a Brazlian e-commerce company with over 14 service sites. Their new identity was designed by Ana Couto Branding & Design. According to this story, Google Translated: “The concept of the foot (footprint) — which seeks new offers — replaced the arrow on the earlier mark. (…) The shape of the icon is a brand new price tag, a stamp and a foot. In addition to the symbol itself, we have a visual universe language, where the “feet” come to life and run quickly in search of the best bid.” The foot in action below (or after the jump).

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