Kinepolis

Those who frequently enjoy a movie and like to have popcorn with it have certainly walked through the Kinepolis shops. These shops cater to a significant number of people – up to 1500 persons in the larger cinema complexes every 20 to 30 minutes – who need a snack and a drink. In recent years, Kinepolis has mainly invested in the speed of service and less in the look, feel, and modularity of the concept.

This immediately became the challenge for King George because how do we maintain the commercial appeal of the Candy Stores while focusing more on design, navigation, layout, modularity, speed, or avoiding dark spots? All while taking into account that different drinking and eating cultures prevail in all core markets – namely Spain, France, and the Benelux. For example, in the Netherlands, ‘coffee and custard’ is enjoyed during the film. It was a challenge that was eagerly embraced in the court of King George.

In the beginning, there was data: in the initial phase, King George delved into the vast amount of data that Kinepolis had gathered to draw conclusions in a later strategic phase. This was done in close collaboration with managers from all countries and F&B (Food & Beverage) responsible individuals. Various field trips, back-of-house visits, and work processes were scrutinized and thoroughly discussed to later establish a solid strategic foundation. Due to the necessity of reaching agreement among all European parties and stakeholders, this investigative phase took several months.

After establishing an extensive strategy as the foundation for the further concept, the creative minds at King George were enlisted. The royal strategists briefed our in-house interior designer and graphic team based on the learnings from previous sessions. The goal was not to push existing design boundaries but rather to create a unique design that supports the predetermined objectives.

Color codes were implemented in the design as navigational tools to differentiate and categorize the various food items in the shops. Modular furniture that can be connected and rearranged in 100 different configurations so that every candy store, regardless of size or shape, gets the same look, feel, and details. Various lighting plans were implemented to guide the flow of visitors in the right direction, a streamlined checkout counter was introduced to enhance the speed of payment, and ways to incorporate more digital advertising for various partner brands were explored.

In addition, the agency developed an extensive and comprehensive interior book that described and named hundreds of materials: materials that would henceforth make a difference in every Candy Store. From durable flooring to Instagrammable elements and pop-up opportunities for major brands.

Every square centimeter was thoroughly studied, leaving nothing to chance. The intention was to enhance the visitor experience, achieve commercial objectives, and ensure a more premium cinema visit.

Kinepolis Group was able to begin adapting several Candy Stores 2.0 according to the concept by King George after the COVID-19 pandemic. Cinema complexes in places such as Metz, France; Leuven, Belgium; Belval, Luxembourg; and Leidschendam, the Netherlands, have already received the King George upgrade. In the future, more Kinepolis Candy Stores in the core countries will be adapted to this concept.

And now, time for the movie?