E.Leclerc
Hypermarket: do less, but better
At Phare de l’Europe in Brest, the former Casino hypermarket has been completely redesigned to house a new 3,000 m² E.Leclerc, delivered in just 10 months. The brief entrusted to Saguez & Partners: transform an outdated store into a human-scale, city-center hypermarket that is powerful, bright, and comfortable, for both customers and staff. A design focused on fluidity: simple, soft, and easy to read, essential for everyday shopping.
Photograph © SeignetteLafontan
Key facts
3 000 m²
Renovation completed in 10 months
34th E.Leclerc store delivered
Coming soon: 2 new openings in France
A design of fluidity: + simpler + softer + more legible
From the moment you enter, the store asserts its identity with a large illuminated ceiling sign and an anamorphic graphic feature that creates a striking visual effect, visible from the shopping mall gallery.
In a compact 3,000 m² hypermarket, the choice was to prioritize a cohesive and calming concept, avoiding overly themed environments. The objective: ensure visual comfort and restore the pleasure of shopping.
The project is based on a simple conviction: a hypermarket’s performance depends on clarity and ease of navigation. Everything has been designed so customers can understand the store within seconds.
- Wide, uncluttered aisles
- Perfectly aligned fixtures
- Long, clear sightlines
- Layout readable from the entrance
The result: a store where you quickly find what you need, move around naturally, and want to come back.
"We’ve never had such a great working tool!": in Brest, the former Casino turned E.Leclerc is unrecognizable. Source : ouest-france.fr
A hypermarket’s performance depends on clarity and ease of navigation.
“A fluid design: simple, soft and legible, essential for everyday shopping.” Thibault Saguez
Soft tones and durable materials
Soft tones and hard-wearing materials are favored: light wood such as birch plywood, used on selected finishes to bring warmth and simplicity; beige cement-look porcelain stoneware flooring, durable and easy to maintain; a tonal range of beige paints to create a natural ambiance; and a tile-effect finish at the base of pillars, protecting high-traffic areas while adding visual rhythm.
This palette creates a bright, calming atmosphere, in line with the spirit of an accessible and efficient hypermarket.
A store rooted in its local context
Saguez & Partners also supported the project’s branding. The work on wording, signage, and iconography introduces subtle references to the Breton region, creating a simple and authentic local identity.
“The winning formula of our design for E.Leclerc: achieving impact and clarity of the offer without ever being ostentatious. A fluid design - simple, soft, and legible - essential for everyday shopping.”
Thibault Saguez, Co-CEO, Saguez & Partners
The project aims to restore a more human scale to the store by adjusting ceiling heights.
Humanizing the hypermarket
The project aims to restore a more human scale to the store by adjusting ceiling heights. Careful control of levels reduces the effect of overly tall volumes. At the checkouts, acoustic panels lower the sightline and improve sound comfort. Significant work was also carried out to bring in natural light, with the opening of a large հատված of the façade to the outside.
E.Leclerc + Saguez & Partners
For several years, we have been supporting E.Leclerc members in transforming their stores, balancing brand identity, commercial performance, and customer experience quality. Each project is based on a simple conviction: to design stores that are efficient to operate, pleasant to visit, and built to last.
Two new projects will open in 2026: E.Leclerc Soustons and E.Leclerc Granville.
Have a project in mind? Get in touch with Claire Zarnitsky.