A campaign across 400 stores is never a simple rollout. There are hundreds of locations to survey, different window layouts to work with and a lot of material to produce. And when the campaign has to move quickly, every part of the process needs to stay on track.
That was the biggest challenge behind the M&S Window Takeover campaign for Costa Coffee. Following an initial trial across eight Costa Coffee stores, M&S and Costa Coffee decided to take the campaign further across 400 branches.
ARC UK was appointed by Inspired Thinking Group (ITG) to manage the site surveys, production planning and installation of the Contra Vision window graphics. The team completed 400 surveys in just 10 days, produced more than 8,000 square metres of Contra Vision and completed the installation programme across a 20-day window.
| Project Detail |
Information |
| Industry | Retail & Food and Beverage |
| Client | ITG / Costa Coffee |
| Service | Survey, Print & Installation |
| Location | St Andrews Avenue RP, UK |
| Project Type | M&S Window Takeover |
| Timeline | 10-day production; 20-day installation |
| Key Challenge | Rolling out graphics across 400 stores at pace |
| Key Outcome | 400 stores completed on time |
Inspired Thinking Group (ITG) is a global marketing services business that helps brands plan, create and deliver campaigns across multiple channels and locations. Working with major brands and retail businesses, ITG supports complex campaigns that require strong coordination, creative production and reliable execution at scale. Costa Coffee and M&S formed their partnership in September 2022. The first stage of the campaign involved eight Costa Coffee stores, including the St Andrews Avenue RP location, where Contra Vision one-way viewing graphics were used to promote M&S sandwiches available in Costa Coffee shops.
Moving from eight stores to 400 changes the scale of a campaign completely.
The first challenge was knowing exactly what each store required. Window sizes and layouts could vary from one location to another, so accurate surveys were essential before artwork and production could begin.
ARC UK also had to keep the production and installation programme moving. ITG needed to create artwork based on the selected window options, while ARC UK planned the production and installation order around the rollout schedule.
ARC UK carried out 400 UK-wide site surveys and captured the measurements in “My Measures”. The information was then sent daily to the ARC Studio team.
The surveys and manuals were completed within 10 days and stored in SKYSITE.
Each store required between 11 and 15 square metres of material on average.
Knowing this early helped the team calculate the volume of Contra Vision required across the estate and plan production accordingly.
ITG selected the required window configurations and produced the artwork. ARC UK then planned production and installation around the agreed schedule.
The campaign involved more than 8,000 square metres of Contra Vision.
Production was completed over 10 days, followed by installations across a 20-day window.
ARC UK managed the practical side of the rollout from the initial survey stage through to installation.
The focus was simple: get the right information from every store, plan production around the installation schedule and make sure the graphics reached each location when needed.
The project started with surveys across all 400 stores.
ARC UK captured the measurements and sent the information to the studio each day. Survey manuals were also created and stored in SKYSITE so the project information could be accessed and managed centrally.
Once the survey information was available, ARC UK could establish the approximate material requirement for each branch.
With an average of 11–15 square metres per store, the team had a clear view of the scale of production needed for the rollout.
The campaign required more than 8,000 square metres of Contra Vision.
ARC UK planned the production around the installation sequence, allowing the artwork supplied by ITG to be produced in the order needed for the rollout.
The installation programme was completed across a 20-day window.
The scale of the rollout meant that planning was just as important as the installation itself. By working from the agreed schedule, ARC UK completed all 400 stores on time.
ARC UK planned the UK-wide survey programme and began capturing measurements across all 400 locations.
The team completed 400 surveys in 10 days. Measurements were captured in “My Measures” and sent daily to ARC Studio.
ARC UK created the survey manuals and stored them in SKYSITE. ITG then selected the required window options and supplied the artwork for each store.
ARC UK used the survey information to plan the volume of material required and organise production around the installation schedule.
More than 8,000 square metres of Contra Vision was produced. Installation then took place across the 400-store estate over a 20-day window.
All 400 stores were completed on time. The final project review recorded a 2% snag rate, with further stores being considered for future promotions.
The M&S Window Takeover showed what is possible when a multi-site campaign is carefully planned from the start.
The project delivered:
The scale of the rollout was significant, but the result came down to getting the basics right: accurate surveys, clear information, sensible production planning and a well-managed installation programme.
“John and the entire team at ARC were so good to deal with. We were recommended to work with ARC via our colleagues on the Holland and Barrett Project. The project was carried out at pace on time with communication and daily reporting of any issues and completed photos fed back to us at ITG.”-ITG Project Team
A 400-store rollout needs more than print capacity. It needs people who can keep track of hundreds of locations and make sure the work moves forward in the right order.
ARC UK brings survey, production planning and installation together, giving brands and agencies one team to work with across large-scale campaigns.
Whether you’re planning a seasonal campaign, launching a new retail promotion or rolling out graphics across hundreds of locations, ARC UK can manage the process from survey through to installation.
Are you still thinking of planning a multi-store promotion or a wider retail brand activation project? ARC UK can help you manage the details behind the rollout.
From surveying individual locations to producing and installing graphics at scale, we’ll help keep your campaign moving and your stores ready for launch.
