Staples Connect Stores to Serve as Community Spaces

Staples is honing in on the retail-as-a-community strategy with its new Staples Connect store concept.

Designed for professionals, teachers and students, the stores feature 500-square-foot event spaces, podcast studios, and coworking spaces with community kitchens and meeting rooms. Each location also has print, marketing and tech services; TSA PreCheck enrollment; and professional services offered by selected partners, including marketing, tax & finance and legal.

Updates to assortment and merchandising strategy including nearly 1,000 new products and 40 new brands such as Apple, Sonos and Bose.

Six locations are currently open in Massachusetts.

“We recognize that the way people shop is changing, and with the launch of Staples Connect we are adapting to fit the needs of our customers,” said Mike Motz, Stapes US Retail CEO. “Our customers are teachers, students of all ages, small-business owners and side hustlers. Research shows that much of what they are seeking is real human interaction with members of their community and industry, which is key to productivity and growth.”

This isn’t the first time the company has brought podcast studios to its stores. It launched its Staples Studio store concept last year.