Are Retail Stores The New Community Centers?

Brands are feeling the need to offer something beyond just a strict retail transaction. Shinola is built on collaboration and storytelling, so it made perfect sense for us to use our retail spaces as a place for the surrounding community to come together. Certainly, Shinola’s community-building efforts also make good business sense: the longer someone lingers in a place, the more loyal they’ll feel to it, and the more likely they are to buy. Plus, the coffee shops create an accessible space for customers—particularly amid Shinola’s more steeply priced goods. Someone who comes in and doesn’t want to spend $550 on a watch can still leave with a cup of coffee. Read more at City Lab.