15 Community Retail Innovations

In order to compete with the ease that e-commerce affords online shoppers, many brands with brick-and-mortar locations are shifting the focus of stores to convey a community retail atmosphere. Beyond serving as a place to pick up a product, the Arc’teryx outerwear store draws in consumers who want to chat with a British Mountain Guide about past or upcoming travels. Similarly, the Shanghai Bicycle Shop is undoubtedly a place to tune up a bike, but it's also a meeting spot for cyclists who want to pull up to the in-store bar and chat over drinks.

In order to help people feel truly apart of a community, 'Goloco' was developed as a membership service that unites shoppers with local businesses and charities. In this same theme, cinemas, coffee shops and libraries often thought of as public meeting places are becoming ultra exclusive hubs when operated as members-only businesses.

A sense of community may be what ultimately inspires a purchase, and engagement is what plays a part in creating a repeat customer.