The French retail chain Monoprix has revamped its brand identity and is currently rolling out its new store design – a cultural masterpiece at the intersection of retail and French pop culture – made by W Conran Design in Paris.
I am German, living and working in Hamburg for quite some time, but I was lucky to grow up in Paris and to call France my part-time home for a couple of years. So whenever something is buzzing in the French branding landscape, I tend to notice. And there is definitely some buzz around Monoprix. (See here how to celebrate heritage brands.)
When I was a kid – this was the casual store we would go to grab our groceries on the way from the »Metro« to our family apartment in the Marais. Over the past few years I noticed Monoprix lifestyle items in the Vogue or Elle magazines on our coffee table at our French house. Now a new brand identity is popping up – and it reminds me more of a MoMA store or a softened version of the legendary Jean-Paul Goude posters for Galeries Lafayette than of groceries. Something must have happened!
Let‘s start with some facts.
Monoprix is a retail chain founded in France in 1932 and headquartered in Clichy; it has been wholly owned by the Casino Group since 2013. The company operates approximately 736 stores and combines groceries with fashion, cosmetics, and household goods. In addition to its core market in France, Monoprix operates through franchise and partnership structures in Belgium, Luxembourg, Tunisia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Guadeloupe, and Réunion, among other locations.
But how did it all begin and why is the new brand identity so spot on?
The founder Max Heilbronn, "Monsieur Max" as his employees liked to call him, invented a new type of store in the early 1930s, in the midst of the economic crisis: a downtown store offering all the essentials of daily life at low prices. No one had thought of this before or dared to take such an initiative. So in 1932 »Monoprix« was born. "Monsieur Max" envisioned a future society where everyone would have access to a wide range of products previously considered out of reach. He was driven by the desire to "make beauty, goodness, and well-being accessible to all". That mission is at the core of the brand up to this day.
Since then, Monop' – as the French call it – has always been an innovator. Its apostrophe eventually became the brand's iconic "Pop" mark. The company launched its first private-label brands and introduced self-service as early as 1950. Already in 1990 they started selling ecological food, invested in eCommerce in the early 2000s and broadened their portfolio to meet the habits of modern society. The latest »coup« was then the curation of French designer furniture at discount prices – most items are sold out in hours and feature in Architectural Digest or Elle Deco.
Slowly Monoprix evolved from a daily go-to-store to a symbol of French style, something the people can relate to and even be proud of.
The new identity delivers exactly that. It is unmistakably French by means of mixing an effortless attitude with a high sense of style and beauty – a combination mostly uncommon when you think of grocery stores.
From Heritage to Identity
To meet this cultural grounding, W Conran Design went back to the source: the legacy, the French Art Nouveau movement, popular posters, and mass-market graphic design. These references reflect a conviction that has remained intact since the beginning: Monoprix enriches life.
This reinterpretation of the brand’s heritage led to the establishment of three principles. First, they understood that Monoprix is not merely a retailer but a brand of taste and curation, the author of its own narrative. Second, their blend of worlds – fashion, home, food, and beauty – becomes a visual language in its own right, not merely a juxtaposition of departments. Finally, pop culture is the visual DNA that anchors Monoprix as much in culture as in commerce.
A Unified Brand Language
This translates to a redesigned iconic logo, a reinvented pattern, a proprietary iconography created from scratch, original illustrations, and a vibrant, confident color palette.
Together, these elements form a unified language designed to encompass the full spectrum of brand expression: from the bag to the storefront, from the app to in-store signage, and from customer loyalty to brand commitments.
As Martin Pilot, Vice President of W Conran Design, puts it: “We didn’t redesign a brand—we reawakened an icon.”
Why It Works
And they did a great job. At a time when retailers are seeking to differentiate themselves beyond price, Monoprix is asserting its status as a lifestyle brand more than ever. This rebranding captures that approach in a new theme: “A taste for the good and the beautiful.” It's a reminder that, in an increasingly competitive sector, brand identity remains a powerful driver of consumer preference. Rather than chasing trends, Monoprix has chosen to highlight what has always set it apart: a retail experience where commerce intersects with popular culture.
Excuse my French, but this is "formidable"!
For more excellent branding, see our best branding of the 2020s so far.
