I am in Boston checking out stores for a project and finally got to visit a Staples Connect store, having read about the format years ago. Can’t comment on how successful the format is but I think it’s brilliant - and it’s always heartening to see a legacy retailer innovating. Here are a few reasons I loved it: 1. A big store making great use of dead space. This space was full of services, including a co-working space, a studio for podcasting among other things, a passport photo suite, printing services, click and collect and much more. 2. Getting ugly products away from the entrance. All of the office supply equipment they’re known for was upstairs. This meant the entrance was completely open, with a focus on communicating what the store was, with real clarity. Made it such a welcoming space. 3. Relevance of added services. So many legacy retailers are going through a mid life crisis where, in their rush to add experiences to stores, include services that don’t fit the brand or the customer. The services here are all totally relevant to what they sell, and the customer they sell to. Nothing irritates me more than retailers with dozens of giant spaces, who slowly fade away without actually trying to do something with all that space. I don’t need to name any because there are so many. Whether it works or not, Staples are trying to innovate in a sector and market that’s extremely precarious - and I applaud it.