We Like(d)
Meet Buyers From… Stores With Experiences 
The retail landscape is shifting, with more and more brick-and-mortar stores creating spaces that aren’t simply for shopping – they’re for spending time together as a family. As stores with experiences become more popular, we’re seeing strong members of our community show up around the world. Whether offering play spaces, cafés, or events, these retailers have found ways to do more than offer their customers a beautiful space for building their children’s wardrobe. They’ve created a space for community and spending time together, which is increasingly important as people crave more human connection in an increasingly digital world.
Let’s take a moment to meet a few of our favorite stores with experiences who are part of our community!
Since 2017, the Belgian family concept store Kabine has been providing families with beautiful products while creating a space where they can genuinely spend time together. “Kabine started from a very personal desire to create this kind of store I myself was missing as a young mother,” Eliza, the store’s founder, told us. “I wanted somewhere beautiful and inspiring, but where children were just as welcome as adults,” she continued. Over the years, Eliza has grown this concept into a universe that covers retail, food, play, and experience across four stores, an online shop, and a café concept, Kantine. “We offer a carefully curated mix for children and families, but ultimately Kabine is less about simply selling products and more about creating a feeling,” Eliza explained.
The selection families find in Kabine ranges from clothing, shoes, toys, books, and accessories to gifts, baby essentials, and nursery and interior items. They try to combine beautiful design with products that are genuinely useful. All of their items are also made to be loved, used, and passed on. Eliza wanted to offer the café in addition to this curated offer because she knows shopping with children is rarely just shopping! “From the beginning, I wanted parents to feel that they didn’t have to rush. Kantine gives families a reason to stay, meet, eat, play, talk, and take a break,” she said. “Children can play while their parents enjoy a good coffee or lunch,” Eliza continued. She finds this the strength of physical retail moving forward. Stores with experiences can offer something an online shop never fully can: human connection, atmosphere, memories, and a sense of place.
Eliza sees her clients come in to Kabine for a range of reasons. “Some customers come because they need something and end up having lunch or coffee. Others come in to meet a friend and discover something in the store on their way out. And some families simply come to Kabine to spend a few hours with us,” Eliza shared. “There isn’t really one customer journey anymore. The café and store naturally feed into each other, but, more importantly, together they make Kabine a destination, rather than just a place to shop,” she continued.
As the business has grown, Eliza has focused on protecting that feeling. She finds their biggest challenge and ambition is to stay warm, personal, and close to their customers. “I strongly believe that in a world becoming fast, more digital, and more efficient, people will increasingly look for places that offer the opposite: care, connection, and a reason to slow down,” Eliza said, adding “This is what we want Kabine to be.”
When attending events like Playtime, Eliza is always looking for products that add something to Kabine’s existing mix, rather than more of the same. The story behind the brand, a strong identity, good design, and quality are key for her. “More and more, we also look for where and how something is made,” she added. Eliza says she always feels a sense of discovery at our shows. “Playtime has always felt like a place where you can discover what is coming next in the world of kids and family lifestyle,” she said. “I associate it with creativity, independent brands, and people who dare to build something with a very distinct identity,” Eliza told us.
Christine, Founder of The Cubhouse
Curated, joyful, and nurturing, meet The Cubhouse! Founded by Christine, this Connecticut shop combines a thoughtfully curated selection with a play space where they host open play, classes, and birthday parties. Christine has a background in business and early education, so everything is designed to be developmentally appropriate. “As an educator, I wanted to create a beautiful, thoughtful, cozy play space where children could independently explore and learn at their own pace,” Christine said. “Play, classes, and events bring our little Cubhouse community together,” she told us.
The Cubhouse is designed to make sure anyone who walks through their door feels welcome. Christine and her team observe that some clients come in to shop, others come in to play, and still others come to The Cubhouse intending to do both! She and her team are constantly adapting to meet their community’s needs and desires as best they can. “We are only two years old as a business, so we’re still learning and growing. As we do, I hope to always keep this mindset,” Christine said.
Passionate about making choices that are earth-friendly, organic, and sustainable wherever possible, Christine keeps this in mind as she sources toys, gifts, clothing, and wellness products for her store. At events like Playtime, she looks for unique, sustainable, heirloom-quality items that can’t be found elsewhere. “I am also looking for like-minded brands to work with,” Christine said. “It’s important for me to work with positive, friendly, happy people,” she continued.
“With my background in the hospitality industry and my love for clothing, combining the two seemed like the ideal concept for a store,” Danique, Owner of Wensenboom in the Netherlands, told us. “Everyone in the area was forced to travel to the big cities or shop online because there simply wasn’t a children’s clothing store in the village yet,” she said. Knowing that’s not always ideal when you have a little one, Danique decided to create what she had missed with her own daughter for fellow families in Heemstede. The result is a pleasant place that’s welcoming to both adults and children. Wensenboom allows the whole family to shop in a relaxed atmosphere.
When she heard the word “wensenboom”, which means “wishing tree”, in a video her daughter loved to watch, Danique knew she had the perfect name for her store! Her colorful boutique is centered around a pink tree which lives up to this name. At Wensenboom, families find a diverse selection of the best brands in clothing, shoes, toys, and accessories for ages 0-12, all paired with a great cup of coffee. Next to the coffee corner, there’s a fun play area for little ones. “People often come to shop, but their kids usually don’t have the patience for it… until they see the play area,” Danique told us. “Here, the roles are often reversed, with parents ending up being persuaded by their kids to stay longer and order a cup of coffee,” she explained.
At Wensenboom, Danique wants every customer to feel welcome. “The village atmosphere is often present in the store,” she said. “Friendships form, neighbors run into each other, and aquaintances from school meet up,” she continued. This is something Danique herself has always appreciated in physical stores.
Danique carefully selects the collections she displays within her store. “I learn from the customer, and they learn from me. I think it’s a wonderful exchange, you are never done learning,” she told us. Danique puts a lot of time, attention, and love into sourcing at trade shows. She is always in search of new toys in particular. With big retail chains offering an overwhelming variety of toys, she feels it’s essential to be a little more creative.
Danique often turns to Playtime to build her offer. She feels it’s an event where buyers can browse booths featuring all their favorite brands. “It’s the ideal place to find everything in one spot, and maybe even add a new brand to the store,” Danique shared. For her, Playtime is a great place for discovering the latest trends for the upcoming season. As she continues to evolve her offer, Danique is focusing on comfortable clothing and further trusting her instincts.
When she moved from New York to Miami, Alana found that the best resources for children were scattered all over the city. “I felt like finding great kids’ clothing, activities, and events required a lot of research and a lot of driving,” Alana said. “I wanted to create one place where parents could find great things for their kids without having to piece it all together themselves,” she continued. That original idea has become State of Kid, a modern children’s concept that brings together highly curated children’s retail, enrichment classes, parties, and events that are all designed with kids and their parents in mind. Founded in 2019, they now have locations in Miami’s Design District and South Miami. They also have a pop up at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens.
The retail assortment at State of Kid spans children’s clothing, shoes, accessories, toys, and gifts. They focus on brands that are stylish, well-made, and a little harder to find. “The retail side is intentionally edited, rather than overwhelming,” Alana explained. “We want parents to walk in and feel like someone has already done the searching for them,” she continued. This offer pairs with the classes and events to create a seamless experience. “On the retail side, we take the guesswork out of shopping. On the enrichment side, we bring together instructors and classes we believe are genuinely great,” Alana said.
Over seven years in business, Alana has realized that State of Kid has become more than a retail store with classes. It’s a place where families come multiple times a week for different reasons. “That repeat relationship is a big part of what makes the concept work,” she told us.
State of Kid creates a reason to come back regularly, while establishing a sincere sense of community. “A child might first come to us for ballet or art. Then they make friends in class, have a birthday party here, and eventually come in to shop. We’ve seen those relationships build naturally over the years,” Alana said. Their events are also great for connecting kids with what’s happening around them. They’ve created programming centered around Art Basel, a Food & Wine Festival, Formula One, and other local events.
Alana has observed their customers come in for a range of reasons. Some discover State of Kid through classes or events and then become retail customers. Others come in to shop and then discover their programming. “Increasingly, our customers aren’t really thinking of these as separate things,” Alana told us. “They might come for a weekly class, grab a birthday gift while they’re here, shop for something their child needs, and then come back for an event on the weekend,” she explained.
State of Kid is designed just as much for parents as it is for their children. “There are a lot of children’s spaces completely focused on entertaining the kids. We wanted to create somewhere parents genuinely enjoy being, too. It’s clean, curated, elevated, and easy to navigate, with great products and experiences for their children,” Alana said. At the end of the day, what’s important to Alana and her team is making family life a little easier.
hello willi Founders, Vera and Fleur
A chance encounter and a casual conversation about creating something together has transformed into the carefully curated store and much-loved Munich meeting place, hello willi! The owners, Vera and Fleur, have backgrounds in advertising. They also share a deep passion for things that are beautiful, unique, and functional.
“The moment you step into hello willi, you feel the special spirit we’ve consciously created,” Fleur and Vera told us. “It’s a little escape from everyday life. Relaxed music plays while friendly chats take place and the smell of coffee fills the air. A visit to hello willi feels a little like visiting a friend,” they explained. This feeling is exactly what they wanted to bring to their community through their store. Named after the beautiful Willibaldplatz, it’s a welcoming place with charming interiors that invite visitors to browse, discover, and stay a little longer.
In this feel-good oasis, customers find special pieces for every occasion and every age. From birth to birthdays, the first day of school to graduation, there are carefully curated, handpicked finds. “Our selection criteria are creativity, functionality, quality, style, and, of course, uniqueness,” Vera and Fleur said. “We’re always on the lookout for new products, local makers, undiscovered gems, and handmade love pieces. That’s how our collection keeps growing and evolving,” they explained.
As they build their offer, Fleur and Vera are careful not to box themselves in. “When choosing what makes it into hello willi, we always keep to those key criteria. We have a good nose for must-haves, which helps us spot hidden gems from both independent labels and bigger finds worth knowing,” they explained.
In addition to their curated offer, they host workshops and talks at hello willi. “We always wanted to create more than ‘just a store’. We wanted to create a place with real added value,” they told us. The result is a space for creativity, connection, and coming together. Alongside their creative workshops, they’ve recently launched a series of talks. These cover topics that matter today, such as longevity and hormones. “Our all-time favorites are ‘How to’ make up workshops led by the hair and make up artist Yvonne. If you want to join, you have to be quick – spots always fill up fast!” Vera and Fleur shared.
Hello willi has a wonderful, loyal community of regulars who love their wide range of products and the fact there’s always something new to discover. While the shop is open and event attendees can browse during them, Vera and Fleur note that those evenings are more about the cozy atmosphere, connecting with others, and enjoying whatever special workshop, talk, or experience customers have booked.
Fleur and Vera are working on their own collection of children’s sweaters, which are sure to be just as special. This line will add to the unique offer at hello willi, and is a natural continuation of this passion project. “We put a huge amount of heart into what we do, and a lot of time into finding the right things,” Vera and Fleur said. “That’s how we keep discovering small, independent labels and giving them a platform to be seen. We truly believe face-to-face connection and personal advice are becoming more valuable than ever,” they continued. The same goes for building a strong network. Women supporting women is something Fleur and Vera care deeply about. They try to live that idea wherever they can.
Bringing together a kid’s boutique, a tea room, and an activity studio, meet the French business, Poppie! This experiential retailer has designed every element to make life easier for young parents. It’s also made to inspire children’s curiosity. In their store, they have all the essentials families need to prepare for the arrival of babies. With a focus on products that are ethical, aesthetically pleasing, and responsible, the toys, linens, and furniture at Poppie are as beautiful as they are practical. Add in the store’s play space, and it’s an inviting destination for the whole family. In the tea room, a menu of 90% organic suppliers and a rotating vegetarian menu offer families healthy alternatives to traditional cafés.
To complete the holistic offer at Poppie, they also have a studio. There, they host regular yoga, pilates, and classes for kids. These courses allow families to take a moment to build healthy habits and move together.
Designed for children ages eight and under, Play Street Museum brings the wonder of discovery to children around the United States. Their interactive museums and play areas are thoughtfully designed to encourage children’s sense of independence, exploration, and creativity. They have educational exhibits and activities, and a mangeable scale that allows kids to self-navigate. This freedom encourages independence, while also creating a more relaxed, accommodating museum experience for caregivers. In addition to their museums and indoor play spaces, Play Street Museum locations also have gift shops. These sale points allow families to find what they need across toys, books, gifts, and special outfits for birthdays. Encouraging them to take a product home that holds the memory of a day well spent, this offer complements the experience at Play Street Museum.
When one mom couldn’t find what she was looking for, she started Eeny Meeny. From the simple idea that play matters, she launched a family concept store online in the UK. When she and her family moved to Monaco, she then opened a physical location as well. In store and online, customers find a curated selection of toys and accessories for children 0 to 8. Each item is handpicked by the founder herself. Because she wanted to create a space where families feel welcome, Eeny Meeny also acts as a community hub. With workshops, events, and everyday conversations, they join the movement of creating community for families in Monaco. Organized with local partners, their hands-on workshops are held in the store. They’re designed to let kids make, discover, and have fun together.
These stores with experiences are providing exactly what contemporary families need. With often complete offers covering all categories and spaces centered around community, the opportunity for connection is endless. Whether through workshops and events or play spaces and cafés, these stores with experiences create spaces that go beyond traditional retail. They provide a place to pass an afternoon, a weekend, or to celebrate exciting moments like birthdays.
Read more about buyers in our community in previous articles here. Be sure to check out these special articles on other stores with experiences here and here, too!
