When Bulk Dispensing Becomes Part of the Interior

A look at how The Way Station Mercantile planned its dispensing system around the space, products and customer experience.

In a well designed bulk retail store, the dispensing system should not feel like equipment added to the space after the design is complete.

It should be part of the plan from the beginning.

The recently opened The Way Station Mercantile in North Carolina offers a good example. When the store approached IDM, much of the concept was already defined. The owners had a clear vision, fixture plans, measurements and an understanding of how they wanted the store to function.

Our role was to work within that plan and help determine which dispensing solutions would best fit the available space, the different food categories and the intended customer experience.

Planning Around the Space

Bulk merchandising creates some very specific design considerations.

Dispenser capacity is only one of them. Designers also need to consider mounting height, customer reach, filling access, the space required below the dispensing mechanism, product visibility and the relationship between the dispensers and the surrounding shelving.

At The Way Station, the dispensing system was integrated into a long wall installation combining natural timber shelving with a dark backdrop.

The transparent containers create repetition and structure across the wall, but because the products remain fully visible, grains, beans, oats, rice and other ingredients provide much of the colour and texture themselves.

The result demonstrates an important principle in bulk retail design: the product can become part of the interior.

Different Products, Different Dispensing Solutions

A bulk store does not necessarily require one dispensing format throughout the space.

The Way Station combines 20 x IDM FBD100 Free Flow PRO dispensers with 10 x SB-101 scoop bins and 2 x G10 Supremo coffee bean dispensers.

The Free Flow PRO units create the main vertical merchandising display for grains, beans and other dry foods. Scoop bins are positioned below and in other areas for products better suited to manual serving, including flour and similar ingredients.

Whole coffee beans have their own dedicated area, where two wall mounted Supremo dispensers create a smaller merchandising feature within the wider store.

Using several dispensing formats allowed the equipment to follow both the characteristics of the products and the architecture of the space.

Designing the Customer Interaction

Bulk retail also introduces an unusual relationship between fixture design and customer behaviour.

The customer approaches the product directly, sees it through the transparent container and controls the quantity being dispensed. The selected amount is then weighed and purchased accordingly.

That means circulation, reach and visibility need to be considered as part of the design.

The dispensing wall is not simply storage or display. It is an interactive part of the retail environment.

From Drawing to Finished Interior

Projects like The Way Station also show why dispenser selection is best considered during the planning stage.

Working from dimensions and fixture plans allowed the dispenser configuration and mounting requirements to be considered before installation.

Once installed and filled, the equipment becomes visually much quieter than it appears on a technical drawing. Repeated transparent containers create consistency, while the food, labels, timber shelving and other materials establish the character of the space.

For architects and retail designers, this creates an opportunity to treat bulk dispensing as part of the interior architecture rather than as an appliance that needs to be accommodated later.

Bulk Merchandising as Part of Retail Design

As refill and package conscious retail concepts continue to develop, the conversation around bulk dispensing is increasingly about more than capacity and functionality.

The choice of dispenser affects sightlines, product presentation, customer interaction, fixture dimensions and ultimately the character of the store.

The Way Station Mercantile shows one approach: a dispensing system planned around the architecture, rather than an interior planned around the equipment.

Project: The Way Station Mercantile, North Carolina, USA
Application: Bulk food retail
Products: IDM FBD100 Free Flow PRO Bulk Food Dispensers, SB 101 Scoop Bins and G10 Supremo Coffee Bean Dispensers
Design support: Dispenser selection, configuration and fixture planning