Global design firm MoseleyBona Retail, which works with the c-store and fuel retailing industry, has rebranded and reincorporated as New York-based Bona Design Lab LLC. The change follows the sudden passing last March of longtime foodservice consultant Thomas Moseley Jr., who had co-founded Massachusetts-based MoseleyBona Retail with veteran c-store/petroleum designer and consultant Joseph Bona in December 2015.
In launching the new venture, Bona acquired the outstanding shares of MoseleyBona Retail from Moseley’s estate. The rebranded firm has relocated to Manhattan, with an office in London via its alliance with Dan Munford of Insight Research, a U.K.-based global specialist in convenience retail strategy.
“Tom and I were just getting started with MoseleyBona Retail when the devastating news came that Tom, who was only 58 years old, had passed away while traveling in Saudi Arabia,” Bona said. “I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend with him and am particularly grateful for the generous support I have received from his family. Bona Design Lab will continue our mission of delivering transformative design and consulting services to c-store, fuel and food retailers around the world.”
The new firm’s suite of services includes brand strategy, consumer insights, naming/logo development, site planning, store layout, exterior/interior design and graphic design. Its capabilities in business analysis/consulting include menu and communications strategies, equipment layout and workflow analysis, and financial metrics and operational consulting.
“Our goal is to help leaders in this sector integrate the science of retail with the art of retail design,” Bona said. “However, this isn’t just about big-picture strategy. Bona Design Lab drills into the details of practical execution.”
Bona says the firm assists clients with concept rollouts, architectural drawings, project management, culinary initiatives and integration of the latest touchscreen and digital menu technology.
Bona’s retail design career spans 30 years and six continents. Following 21 years at CDI Group, where he rose to president, Bona was founding partner and president of GroupRed, which subsequently merged with New York-based branding and design consultancy CBX in the mid-2000s.
At CBX, Bona served as president of branded environments for a decade, directing a range of initiatives for names such as Duane Reade, Shinsegae Department Stores, Wawa, Statoil, Topaz, PetroChina, OXXO, MOL and AM/PM. While at CBX, Bona was featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Modern Marvels” series, bringing his expertise on c-store design to TV audiences.
Bona has been a regular speaker at the annual convention of the National Association of Convenience Stores as well as Insight/NACS in Europe. He also has presented at several other domestic and international trade events. The veteran designer’s work has led to numerous international design awards and many of his projects have been featured in design publications.
Faced with challenges like channel blurring, today’s convenience retailers are under pressure to up their game, Bona notes.
“That’s why we’re so focused on elevated approaches to what we call ‘foodvenience,'” he said.
