Mrs. Fields, which took the common cookie and turned it into a phenomenon, is testing a new look for its stores and adding drinks to its menu as it approaches its 30th anniversary. It's all starting
at a suburban Cleveland store inside the Westfield Great Northern shopping mall, where walls have been painted red, lighting softened and the menu revamped to include gourmet coffees. Mrs. Fields
officials did not say how many of its 503 stores will be redesigned, or when. It depends on the response to this one in Ohio. "I think the single biggest difference is warmth of the experience," says
Leslie Snavely, brand manager for Mrs. Fields. "We want our customers to say, 'I deserve this. I want this.'" Since Sept. 7, the remade Ohio location has seen about 60 percent better sales than it did
in the same period a year ago. The store used to have more white mixed with red accents, and the redesign came with a wider display case to fit more products and lighted signs to better display
options for snacks, drinks or gift packages. Mrs. Fields is also expanding its drinks menu, with smoothies as well as specialty coffees.
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