Loblaws has done this exceedingly well. Despite having only a few store templates they give the store site specificity inside with a huge local wall mural and outside where feasible and appropriate. The murals are generally of a nearby neighbourhood feature. The exterior is generally done by maintaining the some of the historical elements.

The Loblaws store in Montreal near the Olympic stadium is an incredible example. The site was a train, (and sometimes tank), manufacturing site. The Loblaws store still has a huge crane inside the store, maintained the original exterior walls and has kept many of the exterior walls from the warehouse and other buildings around the parking area.

I think in some cases this is how Loblaws has successfully received rezoning, but it is sure a good idea for a place like Montreal where Loblaws is a new brand, and an English brand. There are other factors also, but the store is doing very well.

Perhaps the more modern we become the more we appreciate those relatively few places where the past is still today.

i see your hotel in boston has a bar called “cuffs”. hopefully you’re enjoying it and not everyone knows your name.

re the localization argument, i like the way it picks up on a recent thread about concealing and revealing.

i wanted to share the followingre MTV as an early example of a brand that really got this importance of the local, and did so deeply. the following quote from their CEO tom freston tells the story i believe.
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If music is the language of the global masses, many might think music television can be easily packaged and sold to other countries. Not so, said Thomas Freston, chairman and CEO, MTV Networks. In a PricewaterhouseCoopers EMCSummit keynote interview, Freston revealed that localizationis absolutely critical for the company’s holdings—including MTV, one of the world’s best-known brands.“There is a perception that globalization is one thing fits all,”said Freston, speaking with PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Kevin Carton. “But the more local you are, the better off you are, that’s the bottom line. That’s the heart of our philosophy.”“There’s a ton of local content to compete with…All other countries have developed their own abilities to make videos or shows,” said Freston. “You want to be in the local language, you want to connect with the local person, or your business doesn’t really have any chance of growing.”Localization applies not just to the music and the content, he added. It also means having a business “on the ground that is staffed by locals who not only really know what they’red oing, but also understand the brand.”Because local groups know the culture, added Freston,“you must give them the authority to program these channels and websites as they see fit.”It is this level of control, Freston explained, that enables local affiliates to both reinforce a brand and connect withconsumers. In addition, local teams are supported by local research and data, he said. “We hire the right people, do the right research, and keep our finger on the pulse.” This philosophy has helped to ensure MTV’s success over the years, noted Carton.“ MTV and their networks include Nickelodeon, VH1, Nick at Nite, TNN, and CMT. Today,MTV is the world’s most watched television network, reaching 350 million households in 140 territories…and thevnetwork is still growing.”