A single structure in a desolate office park isn’t enough to draw employees these days. In the same way, an empty store that simply puts products on its shelves isn’t enough to build lasting relationships with customers. 

While online shopping is praised for its speed, 75% of consumers now see online shopping as purely “functional,” according to a new study from Criteo. It doesn’t provide the experience of brick-and-mortar shopping that customers desire. Branded retail hubs are a brilliant fusion of the two. A company’s headquarters are generally the central anchor, while the retail component serves as the supplement that provides the amenities employees want and drives foot traffic that residents and visitors are eager to engage with. 

These shopping destinations might be set up in an indoor venue or outdoor setting, functioning as the establishment of their own neighborhood. Experiential retail hubs group stores or venues together, but with a stronger cohesion than a typical shopping mall. In a way, it’s like a retail village that supports its main brand. Here’s a look at three that are paving the way for the future.  

Audible’s The Pillars Transforms Newark

Anyone who loves to curl up with an audiobook is likely familiar with Audible, the Amazon-owned subscription service that provides access to a library of books, podcasts, and other audio content. It has also transformed Newark, New Jersey, by generating nearly $2 billion in annual economic impact for the city where Audible is headquartered. 

This month, Audible opened The Pillars, a 15,000-square-foot experiential retail hub in Newark‘s Arts and Education District. The space “underscores the company’s commitment to transforming its headquarters’ city through innovation, local entrepreneurship, and community-focused development,” ROI-NJ reports. In addition to a central court featuring Audible listening booths, The Pillars features three independent brands with a fourth on the way. 

 “When we invest to bring new amenities to our neighborhoods while creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs, it strengthens the fabric of our whole city,” said Mayor Ras Baraka. “The Pillars adds to the vibrancy of Newark’s Arts and Education District, and spotlights how we build a more equitable and prosperous city by reimagining spaces that serve us all.”

Boston Landing Laces Up Its New Balances

New Balance triumphed in Boston by creating Boston Landing. Almost the size of a small neighborhood, Boston Landing transformed a piece of the Brighton area to become a mix of office spaces, residential units, retail stores, and recreational facilities based around the New Balance footwear headquarters and their massive factory store. The hotspot also features practice and training facilities for the Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins, a commuter rail station for easy access to downtown and the suburbs, and a range of dining and entertainment options. Come 2027, a new hotel called the Strider Hotel will debut. 

The space features dynamic happenings from Christmas tree lightings to Adult Ninja events, and each of these brings in foot traffic that draws from more than just the thousands of employees who work for New Balance and the surrounding businesses. Whether it’s creating an atmosphere where employees are eager to return to the office or building a retail destination that creates a relationship with the public, Boston Landing has demonstrated its ability to resonate with those around it. 

AT&T’s Discovery District Gives Dallas a New Destination

The $100 million Discovery District in Dallas was built primarily for the 6,000 employees of AT&T, but it’s since become a popular destination that attracts 49,000 visitors each week thanks to its stunning visual elements. 

A corporate campus in an urban environment, it showcases a colorful light and sound display, creating takeover moments that include trellis LED lights, a 30-foot-tall rendition of the company’s globe logo that rotates 180 degrees and lights up like a rainbow, and a 104-foot-tall 6K media wall, D Magazine reported, adding that some are already calling it Dallas’ version of Times Square. 

They also bring in dynamic events like the Dallas Beer Festival, and operate the campus on 100 percent wind energy. From start to finish, it’s been an opportunity to not only create something exceptional for the legions of employees who work there but also create something exceptional for the Dallas residents and visitors who want to see it.

“Although the AT&T Discovery District was built primarily for the 6,000 employees on-site, it is important in establishing a bold new standard for the amenitized corporate campus in a neighborhood setting,” Barry Hand, a principal at Gensler who oversaw the project, told DCEO. “Corporate headquarters are often sterile office environments that are successful in expressing a brand, but short on walkable, human-scale placemaking in an urban neighborhood.”

The endeavor has been a success: There has been a 500% increase in foot traffic since 2020.  

Getting employees to be excited about working in the office is harder than ever. When employees have a dynamic environment to work in, they’re much more likely to thrive. Similarly, 29% of shoppers now view online shopping as a chore. More than a third say they miss the joy of discovering something unexpected in a store. Branded retail hubs are the perfect fusion of the two. Not only do they establish outstanding headquarters for brands looking to create the kind of environment that employees actively want to be in, but by creating retail environments that are unexpected and build lasting relationships, customers are more likely to establish loyalty. 

Shopping these days is about so much more than just pulling out their credit card, and the brands that look toward the future will likely be the ones that establish staying power.