Social Studies

By Melissa Ceria/San Francisco

PREPARING DINNER for her husband and two kids after work each night was just another chore on Kriston Feldpausch's daily to-do list until she picked up a flyer in her son's cubby last spring for My Girlfriend's Kitchen, a meal-assembly parlor where busy moms get together and make tasty food for their families over upbeat music and nonstop chitchat. "It's like a night out," says Feldpausch, who lives in Midlothian, Va. "It's fun; you always meet somebody new."

In a bid to accommodate busy schedules, forward-thinking companies like My Girlfriend's Kitchen are trying to improve lives with a retail experience that's personally rewarding. Why crank out dinner alone when you can whip up something delicious and make new friends? Inviting consumers to join an in-store social network is proving so appealing that meal-assembly kitchens are popping up across the country. Corporate giants such as Nokia and Ikea are also creating retail communities, offering shoppers services and entertainment that mesh into their lives, at times blurring the boundaries between retail and reality.

That stores should serve as a social gathering post isn't new: trunk shows have long existed, and several years ago Apple revolutionized the interactive retail concept by inviting customers to hang out with laptops for free tech advice and quick tutorials. Savvy brands know to sell consumers more than just their products, so to establish a more meaningful relationship some are customizing the in-store experience to provide something much deeper: a chance to feel connected to a community.

"When we first opened, people would walk out with tears in their eyes, saying, 'You've saved my marriage,' because now they can put a good meal on the table," recalls Jennifer Jackenthal, president and co-founder with Marcia Hales of My Girlfriend's Kitchen, which they started in Utah and expanded to 31 franchises in 16 states.

Meal-assembly kitchens like Dream Dinners, Let's Dish! and Dinners Together have come to the rescue of a generation of busy women who want to do it all--but often miss out on having fun. Those who sign up with My Girlfriend's Kitchen pay almost $200 to prepare 12 family-size dinner entrees--no chopping, cooking or cleanup necessary--in a cozy decor.

"People who live in cities want to re-create spaces that don't exist anymore," says Lucian James, president of Agenda Inc., a research and strategy firm based in San Francisco and Paris. "Social groups are now so fragmented that brands are finding a new way to bring people together and create social networks."

Nokia has recently tapped into that trend to build on its brand. At its flagship store in Moscow, customers can use display phones to send images and messages and, eventually, to connect with people globally through its mobile gaming network. As more flagships open around the world, shoppers will be able to join a live gaming community by directly competing against scores posted by players at other stores. "Learn to get close to your consumer; it's going to keep you alive," says Cliff Crosbie, director of global retail and trade marketing for Nokia.

Swedish furniture giant Ikea has done just that, launching a division called the Small Biz Network to accommodate entrepreneurs starting ventures. A quarterly electronic newsletter invites small-business owners into a local Ikea store for a networking event. Brands that encourage consumers to join their retail communities are hoping for a greater degree of customer loyalty in return. For many, it's too early to predict results, but when asked if she would try out any of the other assembly-meal places opening up around town, Feldpausch replied, "I would feel disloyal if I were to go to another. It's sort of like walking out on a friend."

That's the spirit, girlfriend.