The coffee-shop chain is working on a new visual identity and store design as it looks to widen its appeal. 

The company, which has had a presence in the UK since 1995, has hired design agency Conran & Partners to lead the interiors revamp. The first store to receive the makeover is in Hove, West Sussex, with the London branches to follow within six months.

Coffee Republic will use lighter colours in its branding and store furnishings, as research showed that women were less likely to be attracted by the dark colours of current interiors. Stores walls will now be painted in paler shades, with black and white tiled floors and red furniture.

The new sign will spell out Coffee Republic in a simple font on a white background. The previous logo was in white on a dark background, alongside a red heart motif and the line "In coffee we trust".

The chain is the latest in a succession of coffee-shop brands to undergo rebranding.

Earlier this month, Costa Coffee ramped up its efforts to win over inner-city coffee drinkers with the launch of its first Costa Coffee Metropolitan store, on Great Portland Street in London's West End.

Coffee Republic's chief executive, Tariq Affara, said the brand needed to broaden its appeal without alienating its existing customer base. 

The chain has more than 100 UK outlets, including its concessions in Cineworld cinemas.