Corner convenience: The death and life of the neighbourhood corner store

Everybody loves a good corner store; and yet their continued demise seems as predictable as a mid-Frosty Fruit brain freeze on a hot summer’s day. But is their fate set in stone? Or could a new approach bring back these vital nodes of community and commerce?

I took a trip down memory lane the other weekend, riding past my childhood corner store: the old Webster Street Deli in Perth. It’s been twenty years since it closed its doors, and the now-derelict federation building is a fitting metaphor for the current state of corner stores in general.

As I stood out the front with my two young boys, I recounted stories of how I used to ride my bike there as a child; the freedom to roam the neighbourhood and cash-in one’s pocket money at a lolly-laden corner store was a true rite of passage for any kid growing up in the suburbs at the time.

Yet, as I reminisced, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness and —as a planner, some responsibility— at how few corner stores remain in our neighbourhoods today, and what our communities have lost along with their demise. So, as any urban planner would, I started pondering what it might take to make corner stores thrive again.

To be fair, most corner stores have fared better than the abandoned Webster Street relic. Many have been converted to houses, hairdressers, cafes, yoga studios or -if you’re lucky- artisanal bakeries. Yet, whilst I’m all in for local doughnuts and downward dogs, there is something special about the humble corner store.

It’s not just nostalgia talking. These small, unassuming shops provide a double dividend for neighbourhoods: the practical amenity of meeting one’s basic needs within a short walk from home (hello ‘15 minute city’ lovers), and the community-building benefit that only casual interaction and community identity can bestow.

Yet, despite their virtues, corner stores are rarely viable in today’s urban landscapes. There’s no single culprit responsible for the demise of the corner store. It’s a death by a thousand cuts from big-box retail, deregulated business hours, online shopping, restrictive zoning, complaints from neighbours, street design which doesn’t encourage walking, and parents who won’t let their kids roam free in their own neighbourhood.

These are all real issues, but pondering what went wrong is hardly inspiring; the more interesting question is, what might it take to revive corner convenience?

Reviving Corner Convenience

I believe we have an opportunity to bring back —at least some— of these beloved community assets. ?Doing so will require three key steps:

1.???????? Remove the barriers to these businesses operating

2.???????? Create the local conditions for them to thrive

3.???????? Innovate the offering and how they are financed

Step One: Remove the Barriers

Successful corner convenience requires the collision of fresh thinking, good sites, savvy operators, capital investment and local support. To facilitate these stars aligning at as many locations as possible, the first thing we need to do is remove the planning, licensing and community barriers which prevent these ventures from being permitted in the first place.

Flourishing corner convenience requires an expansion of the current products and services offered at your typical corner store, as well as refreshed building design to best deliver these offerings. However, in many jurisdictions planning regulations prohibit convenience stores, cafes or small bars from operating in residential areas; and even where such businesses are permitted, the services which can be performed (such as preparing hot food at a convenience store) are prohibited. Planning reforms are required to remove these barriers, including:

• An expansion of the types of land-uses permitted, or an agreed Council stance on approving ‘additional uses’, at appropriate corner sites in residential areas
• More flexible definitions of what activities can occur within specific land uses
• Provisions to permit and incentivise shop-top housing, providing much needed accommodation to either house the proprietors or provide valuable rental income

Liquor licensing is another thorny issue. Despite improvements over the past decade, obtaining a license for a small wine bar or the sale of takeaway alcohol —offerings which could add to corner store viability and vibrancy in some locations— remains a bureaucratic nightmare in Perth.

We must not be dissuaded by the vocal minority who are upset about parking or noise (often regardless of what is proposed). Let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good: we can acknowledge that conflicts can exist between commercial and residential land uses, but understand that if we allow the small issues to override the greater good that these establishments provide, we will have lost a piece of what makes our neighbourhoods a joy to live in.

Step Two: Create the Conditions

Removing the barriers to businesses operating is essential, but not sufficient; we need to also create the local urban environments which dramatically improve the viability of corner convenience.

So, what creates the conditions conducive to small local businesses?

Unlike larger shopping centres, corner stores rely on smaller catchments of patrons within walking or biking distance. The ability of a catchment area to support a local business is dependent on the number of customers within a given area and the distance each customer is willing to travel to that business. For this reason, corner convenience has, and always will be, supported by urban environments which are both dense and walkable. These two levers have become even more vital in recent times: given that many potential patrons will choose big-box or online retail for many shopping needs; providing higher urban densities and walkable environments is now even more vital to provide adequate corner store patronage.

it needs to be more appealing to walk to your local corner store than it is to drive to your supermarket

Let’s be clear: corner stores may be a dying breed in Australia, but they are still thriving in many parts of the world: from the ‘bodegas’ of New York, the ‘offies’ of London, and ‘combinis’ of Japan, those cities with thriving convenience store cultures have one thing in common: urban density.

To compete with the lure of car-oriented shopping centres we also need high amenity streets which prioritise people over cars. In short: it needs to be more appealing to walk to your local corner store than it is to drive to your supermarket.

Step Three: Innovate

Perhaps the biggest opportunity lies in reimagining what a corner store could be.

A look around our neighbourhoods clearly suggests that cafes, bars and independent retail are currently more economically viable than traditional corner stores, however they often lack the practical benefits of general stores. So, why not combine the two? The traditional corner store model can be bolstered with an assortment of more profitable services, including best-in-class food offerings, which help balance the books whilst attracting a broader range of customers.

A wildly successful example of this is Daisies in Swanbourne, Perth. This iconic spot offers great coffee, all the trappings of a gourmet lunch bar, curated general store goods like sunscreen, hats, eskies and toothpaste, essentials like fresh bread, milk and eggs and bonus conveniences such as pre-made dinners and a post-office box. It’s like your favourite coffee shop, bakery and convenience store rolled into one; but it’s also a place to linger: they’ve got rugs for people to sit and chat on the verge and a tub of dinosaur toys to keep the little’uns entertained. Daisies is not just a shop; it's a community hub. You know a corner store is a success when you see the cool kids sporting Daisies branded shirts and caps! Places like Daisies are institutions that take the concept of ‘corner convenience’ and elevate it to that of ‘community capital’.

But why stop there? Innovating the corner store concept requires us to reimagine what ‘convenience’ means in the 2020’s and beyond. How about multi-use spaces which combines the best of classic corner stores with future-focused services. These could include:

• Net-zero mobility hubs: EV fast chargers, carshare bays and e-cargo bike rental
• Remote working and small business hubs: co-working spaces with a meeting room and printer
• Click-and-collect drone delivery points
• Repair cafes, where you get your otherwise-landfill-destined things repaired whilst you wait

Combine these with the current classics: wine bars, artisanal bakeries and coffee; add in a small public space, and you’ve got a powerhouse of community-serving corner convenience for all!

Above all else, we need the right operators who can provide a point of difference to the big commercial centres. Establishments with Instagram-worthy settings and products; whilst excellent coffee is a non-negotiable. And not everything needs to have a premium price-tag, it just needs to reflect the needs and desires of the local community and be delivered in a way which captures hearts and minds.

In the same way that we have incubators for tech startups; wouldn’t it be great if we had an incubator for new corner convenience businesses, where you could come with an idea and be paired with business mentors, potential sites, investors, access to grants, co-op bulk purchase deals and casual employee registers.

Places like Daisies are institutions that take the concept of ‘corner convenience’ and elevate it to that of ‘community capital’

Financing the future of corner convenience

Making small retail businesses stack up financially is a hard sell. But what if we looked at corner stores through a different economic lens? Given the well understood social, economic and planetary benefits of corner stores —reduced car travel and increased walking, increased social interaction and community cohesion, food access, bolstered local economy and employment— should we be valuing and subsidising these societal assets in the same way we do for, say, public open space?

If we better understood and accounted for the full economic value to society of corner stores, I believe the return on investment to governments would become obvious. Armed with a strong financial basis, state and federal governments could provide grants, subsidies or low-interest loans to corner store businesses; whilst local government could provide rate relief and fast-tracked planning approvals.

We might even see philanthropic assistance or not-for-profit models emerge, where the goal isn’t just profit but community enrichment.

If we want corner stores in our neighbourhoods, then we need to reconsider the financial models which apply to them; acknowledging that these are more than just shops, they are places where community happens.

Are we up for the challenge?

Reviving corner stores will not be an easy task, but then nothing worthwhile ever is. One thing is for sure – corner stores are indeed at a cross-roads. The question is: which road do we want to our communities to go down?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what else it might take to bring back corner convenience, or if you think it’s not worth even trying. After all though, wouldn’t it be nice to send your kids down to the corner store for a lolly bag and know they’re contributing to something bigger—community, culture, and a more sustainable future?

?

The above assortment of ideas have been inspired by the discussion on my recent LinkedIn post on this topic; thanks goes to: Peter James , Sandy Anghie , Brent Toderian , Peter de Groot , Adrian Fratelle , Justin Hansen , Robert Sim?? , Michael Wright, MPA, P.Eng , Alicia Otto , David Smith , Tuan Ngo , Karl Desai , James Mant MPIA, Julie Ann Canal , Katrina Rischbieth and others for your thoughts!

?

Strong Towns , Planning Institute of Australia , Activate Perth, WA Local Government Association (WALGA) , Next City , Local Government Planners Association , Green Gurus? , Committee for Perth