PCC’s latest stores in Seattle sell groceries–but they’re not just grocery stores. Architecture firm MG2 in Seattle, known for its exceptional retail and hospitality design, played a key role in the design of the new locations. The program zeroes in on a change in the way we shop for groceries: Customers are increasingly focused on sustainability and community, in addition to ethics and nutrition. The design weaves sustainability into every fiber of the location, aiming for a higher certification (LEED, LBC) than what has been ever achieved by a grocery store before, while emphasizing ownership and community connection. The design aims to elevate and unify both the employee and shopper experience into an environment that felt familiar, dignified, and welcoming. 

Each store is unique and characterizes the heritage of the community it serves through art pieces crafted exclusively from reclaimed materials by local artists, championing the adorning streetscape with ample sidewalk seating and wall-to-wall windows. Instead of being tucked away, interactive departments like meat, seafood, and bakery have been given prominent locations adjacent to sources of natural light, further promoting visibility and authenticity, and doing away with the “back-of-shop” perception they’re traditionally tied to. Encouraging the wellbeing of personnel, break rooms and staff bathrooms feature the same finishes and materials found in front-of-house.