National Retail Chain

This decades old retail store had a committed legacy customer, but as that customer aged, sales were slowing. A new generation of shopper was less likely to visit the store, and declining sales meant less community impact.

Legacy retail chains face existential challenges when customer demographics shift and foot traffic declines. Whiteboard partnered with a national bookstore chain to attract younger customers while maintaining loyalty among existing shoppers. Through comprehensive store tours across the country and in-depth interviews, we uncovered shared values between legacy and aspirational customers that aligned with the chain's understated mission. Our research revealed opportunities to transform retail experiences around these overlapping values, integrating stores into customers' daily routines rather than occasional purchasing destinations. We developed comprehensive solutions spanning store layout, services, partnerships, product offerings, and strategic location planning. This holistic approach converted the stores from transactional spaces into daily community destinations, creating sustained engagement across generational customer segments.