Exploring Visual Elements in the Premium Grocery Market

This study explores visual communication in the luxury grocery sector, focusing on the English brand Fortnum & Mason, a historic tea merchant established in 1707. The research aims to understand the visual strategies and elements the brand uses to convey luxury, heritage, and tradition, with the goal of maintaining consumer interest and reinforcing brand identity. The primary method of investigation is a qualitative thematic analysis of visual elements, applied to both packaging and store layout to assess how these elements contribute to a cohesive brand narrative. The sample consists of 157 visual units: 66 related to packaging and 91 to store layout. The thematic analysis identified four dominant themes and one sub-theme: Sustainability and Appreciation for Nature, Storytelling through Visual Tools, and the Colour and Thematic Celebration sub-theme, Brand Cultural Heritage and Store Experience and Interior Atmosphere. The study highlights a need for further research into heritage storytelling within the luxury grocery market, especially in categories such as tea, confectionery, and artisanal goods where a notable gap in academic literature has been identified.