"Errands are for old people..."

That's what I friend told me today when I had to run to the grocery store. I stopped by my local Wegmans, which to those who don't know, is the Nirvana of soccer moms in Western and Central New York. After swiping my credit card (yay American economy), I got my receipt:



Something wasn't right about it...that wordmark. As long as I can remember Weggies had beed branded with their big blocky name:



I went outside and checked to make sure the name on the outside of the store still looked the same. So, what's with the change? A visit to their website shows the new brand has permeated there, too.



It's not like Wegmans' customers didn't already identify with the company, and I can't imagine they were losing business to Tops Friendly Markets or Price Chopper. Maybe it has something to do with Wal-Mart's recent rebranding effort. With more Super Centers popping up across the map, the sun is setting on the day of the grocery store as we know it. As for the message, I'm not sure. The scriptier font looks more personal, I suppose, whereas the blocky letters were very 80's and may have given off an industrial look. In an attempt to distance itself from the big-box look, Wegmans went in the other direction.

If that's the case, I like it, but they need to do a little more. Too many messages. When you go in the store, there's all kinds of signage. Some in a light Arial, some in bold Comic Sans. Aside from the fact that no one should ever use Comic Sans, I think their new image will be complete when they overhaul all the design in the stores, and not just the logo on the bags and receipts.