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What is "companion-type business", and what are the keys to a successful project?

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2025-02-06

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Editor-in-chief | Yang Ming

Editor | Jing Xiangyuan

Source | RET Ruiyide

In today's rapidly changing business environment, consumer demands are no longer limited to the simple purchase of goods and services, but have shifted towards more complex and deeper emotional and social needs. With accelerated urbanization and the rise of individualism, people are facing increasing feelings of social isolation and psychological pressure, and they long to find a space that can provide emotional support and social interaction experimental

It is against this backdrop that 'companionate business' emerged as a new concept, creating a new segmentation dimension for business and providing new solutions to meet the diverse needs of the new generation of consumers experimental

What is 'companionate business', and what are its characteristic attributes?

'Companionate business' emphasizes transcending the traditional transactional shopping experience by creating emotional value and deep customer relationships. This model not only focuses on the sale of goods and services but also on how to build an environment that satisfies customers' psychological needs, promotes social interaction, and provides personalized services. The key characteristics of 'companionate business' are elaborated below:

Transcending buyer-seller relationships, striving to create a small society full of warmth and support

In today's high-pressure and rapidly changing social environment, individuals often face the gradual loosening of traditional, close family or community ties. With accelerated urbanization and the rise of individualism, people find themselves with an increasingly profound need for interpersonal connection and emotional resonance—this is not just in private spheres like within families or among close friends, but also in seeking a sense of belonging and identity in the broader public domain experimental

Bangkok community mall Samyan Mitrtown features a 24-hour free-access co-working space—Samyan Co-op, which has been fully booked since its opening, unleashing and stimulating the public's desire and enthusiasm for learning ©Internet

Companionate business effectively transforms commercial activities into platforms that foster positive interaction between people, and between individuals and social institutions. This form of business not only provides goods and services themselves but, more importantly, creates spaces that nourish the soul: whether by stimulating customers' emotional responses through meticulously designed consumer experiences; or by organizing various interest groups to help members establish common topics and deepen mutual understanding; or even by directly participating in shaping consumers' lifestyles, such as offering courses, hosting events, thereby forming stable and meaningful interpersonal networks experimental

Successful companionate businesses will make consumers feel that they are not just engaging in ordinary shopping activities, but are enjoying a wonderful journey full of care and support. Every visit feels as warm and natural as meeting an old friend, rather than just another monetary transaction experimental

It is an extension of the experience economy, emphasizing comprehensive consumer experiences that touch consumers' emotional and psychological levels

In the era of the experience economy, consumer expectations have shifted from mere product purchases to seeking comprehensive consumer experiences. Companionate business is a manifestation of this trend, not only focusing on product transactions but also placing greater importance on consumers' emotional experiences and psychological feelings during the purchasing process experimental

Companionate business creates unique consumption scenarios and experiences, allowing consumers to feel cared for and accompanied while enjoying services. The design of such experiences requires a deep understanding of consumers' psychological and emotional needs, thereby integrating more emotional elements and personalized care into products and services. For example, through storytelling marketing, personalized services, interactive experiences, etc., consumers can feel the warmth and depth of the brand during the purchase process. In this business model, consumers' emotional satisfaction and psychological comfort become key indicators of success experimental

The Story Shop is a children's bookstore founded by Melissa Music and Stephanie Cannon, which creates a warm world full of imagination and fun for children through rich story reading and creative activities ©Internet

Furthermore, companionate business also emphasizes the integration of community and social elements. By building consumer communities, brands enable consumers to enjoy interacting and sharing with others while enjoying products. This social interaction not only enhances consumers' sense of belonging but also creates opportunities for word-of-mouth marketing for the brand experimental

Through personalized services, transform consumption into deep emotional communication, making consumers feel valued and understood

In today's business environment, the importance of personalized and customized services is increasingly prominent. Companionate business does not offer ordinary goods and services; instead, it aims to create exclusive consumption experiences tailored to each customer's unique needs through deep understanding, thereby building profound emotional connections experimental

Retailers are not just selling products but becoming partners in consumers' lives, paying attention to their lifestyles, personal preferences, and even emotional states, and providing highly customized solutions accordingly. This approach is not limited to personalized product recommendations but also involves the design of the entire shopping journey—from store layout to customer service, from marketing communication to after-sales support, every step revolves around satisfying individual needs experimental

Tokyo Grandberry Park, emphasizing child-friendliness, features a 'Children's Discovery Hall,' offers exclusive services for children, introduces outdoor sports and 'food-and-play' dining experiences to enhance fun, and incorporates Snoopy IP to create themed spaces ©Internet

Specifically, companionate business can leverage in-depth data analysis and technological tools to capture consumer preference information, predict their future needs, and quickly respond to market changes. For example, by analyzing historical purchase records and online behavior through intelligent algorithms, businesses can proactively prepare promotional activities or new product launches suitable for specific customers; or arrange personalized in-store experiences, such as special display areas, limited-time events, etc., based on geographic location and personal interests experimental

Not only responding immediately to current market demands, but also focusing on the long-term future, committed to growing together with consumers

Within the framework of companionate business, the relationship between enterprises and consumers is redefined as a process of mutual growth. In this process, both parties, through continuous communication, learning, and support, jointly explore new possibilities and contribute to social progress while achieving their respective goals experimental

The business operations team will actively create various opportunities to promote knowledge sharing and technical exchange, such as holding various themed events and lectures and training. These activities provide participants with a platform to learn new skills and broaden their horizons, promoting interaction and cooperation within the community, enhancing a sense of collective belonging and personal accomplishment. For example, bookstores can organize book clubs or author meet-and-greets; gyms may offer healthy living workshops or invite nutritionists to give lectures; these are all concrete manifestations of shaping shared growth experiences.

Hirakata T-Site, by adopting a barrier-free open layout and featuring multiple spacious public squares and comfortable rest areas, not only provides customers with a relaxing space but also promotes natural gathering and free flow © Network

Establishing a membership system is one of the important means for companionship-type businesses to enhance user stickiness. For loyal customers, exclusive benefits and development opportunities are not only material rewards but also recognition of their contributions and investment in future potential. Companies can encourage members to participate more deeply in brand building through points systems, priority access to new products, participation in internal testing, etc.

What are the core keys to building a successful "companionship-type business" project?

Based on operational practice, we believe that the core of building a companionship-type business lies in "building relationships"—establishing a deep connection of mutual encouragement and inner resonance through the touchpoints and media of space, people, service, and culture, so that people feel a sense of belonging, comfort, and happiness. In concrete operations, the following four aspects are crucial:

It is necessary to first accurately position the target customer group to achieve true "companionship".

The positioning of the target customer group is not just a superficial market segmentation, but a deep understanding of the complexity and diversity of the target customer group, including but not limited to their age group, occupational characteristics, lifestyle, hobbies, etc. Only through detailed first-hand data collection and analysis can enterprises develop product and service solutions that both meet market demand and touch the hearts of consumers.

Understanding consumers' age groups can help companies determine communication language and marketing channels; mastering occupational characteristics helps identify work pressure points and personal needs, thereby designing targeted services or products; insight into lifestyles reveals daily habits and consumption patterns, allowing companies to provide more intimate life solutions; while grasping hobbies provides a basis for creating personalized experiences, making every interaction resonate emotionally.

Central Festival EastVille shopping mall thoughtfully designed a family-oriented consumption environment, equipped with children's playgrounds, small trains, dedicated toilets, and sandpit areas, not only meeting the needs of children's entertainment and play, but also providing families with a warm, convenient, and fun integrated experience space © Network

In order to maintain this accuracy, companionship-type businesses also need to establish a dynamic learning mechanism. This means regularly conducting market research and data analysis to capture the latest consumption trends and social changes. Through continuous feedback loops, companies can quickly respond to market signals, adjust their business strategies, and ensure that the services provided always meet the needs of the target customer group. For example, using data mining techniques to track changes in customer behavior patterns, or using social media monitoring tools to monitor public opinion, are effective methods for maintaining industry leadership.

In addition, enterprises should also attach importance to direct dialogue with customers and encourage them to participate in the product development and improvement process. Through membership systems, user forums, online surveys, etc., valuable opinions and suggestions can be obtained, and user participation and a sense of belonging can be effectively enhanced.

Create a warm commercial space through lighting, music, scene design, and decoration style.

For companionship-type businesses, creating a warm space is key to their success. This space is not just a platform for displaying goods, but a place that promotes positive interaction between people and the environment and inspires emotional resonance, aiming to create a comfortable, warm, and attractive atmosphere that encourages customers to stay and enjoy themselves. To achieve this goal, every design element—from lighting to music, from scene design to decoration style—is carefully planned to evoke customers' good emotions and memories.

Using warm-toned LED lights to illuminate public areas and rest areas can convey a warm atmosphere, while also effectively guiding customers to naturally explore the entire space. Different areas should adopt a hierarchical lighting scheme, such as bright and even light in the main passage providing clear directional guidance for customers; while rest areas can use soft local lighting to create private and comfortable corners, encouraging people to stop and chat or relax.

At Chermside Shopping Centre in Australia, a giant shade structure called "Urchin" connects the city square with the mall, forming a place for activities and gatherings, attracting pedestrians to stay and enjoy the vibrant performance of light, color, and movement © Network

The choice of background music has a subtle influence on customers' emotions. Soothing and gentle melodies can add a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere to the shopping mall, helping to relieve customers' stress during shopping. Adjust the volume and style according to different business hours, playing light and cheerful music in the morning to greet early customers; in the afternoon, choose more profound and introverted tunes, combined with the aroma of coffee to create a space suitable for reading and thinking. In addition, regularly changing music themes, such as seasonal or holiday special arrangements, can give customers a sense of freshness and change, enhancing their emotional connection with the shopping mall.

By constructing a series of story-driven and interactive scenes, customers can be brought into specific situations, increasing their engagement and memorable moments. For example, setting up themed blocks with unique cultural and historical backgrounds allows customers to experience local culture and emotional resonance while strolling; or setting up children's play areas, incorporating educational elements, allows children to learn new knowledge through play.

Focus on the deep emotional needs of customers, carefully plan and implement diversified and personalized companionship services.

Companionship-type businesses should not only invest in traditional goods and services, but also deeply understand and respond to customers' needs at the emotional and social levels. By introducing various forms of services such as pet companionship, parent-child companionship, and social companionship, a deeper emotional connection is established with customers, thereby enhancing customer loyalty and brand stickiness.

For example, The Domain Northside shopping center in Austin, Texas, USA, is a successful case. The mall is committed to creating a vibrant, family-friendly environment, providing parents and children with a wealth of parent-child companionship experiences. The Domain Northside has specially set up several children's play areas, including indoor playgrounds and creative craft workshops, and regularly holds educational and entertainment activities suitable for children of different ages, such as science experiment workshops and art creation courses. These activities promote interaction among family members, create precious family memories, and allow parents to enjoy quality parent-child time while shopping.

Domain Northside shopping center brings families colorful parent-child fun through a 70s-themed summer event, including a celebration party, soccer games, Lucas Miller's "Singing Zoologist" performance, and DIY crafts such as record spinning and tie-dye art © Internet

For families with pets, providing pet-friendly facilities and services is also crucial. Setting up designated pet rest areas, holding pet grooming workshops or training courses, or even allowing customers to bring pets into specific stores can make customers feel that the mall understands and supports their lifestyle.

In addition, social companionship is an aspect that cannot be ignored. Modern people face various life pressures, and they yearn to find a place where they can relax and make new friends. To this end, shopping malls can regularly organize various themed parties, interest group gatherings, and other activities to encourage customers to participate. For example, opening a book club, a photography enthusiasts exchange meeting, or a fitness challenge can satisfy individual interests and hobbies while promoting interpersonal communication and creating a positive social atmosphere.

Create a vibrant and warm community environment where everyone can find their place and develop their interpersonal relationships.

Companion-type businesses encourage communication and cooperation among community members by creating diverse public spaces and interactive opportunities. These spaces are not limited to traditional shopping venues but also include informal social occasions such as cafes, bookstores, and art galleries. Here, people can easily meet, talk, and form natural social networks. Outdoor squares, children's play areas, and pet-friendly areas inside or around the mall can further enhance the community's cohesion and attractiveness.

Regularly held cultural and entertainment activities are one of the key means of building a sense of community. For example, organizing concerts, film screenings, and handicraft workshops can enrich residents' spiritual lives and provide them with opportunities to showcase their talents and interests. These activities help break down barriers and allow people to build deep emotional connections through shared experiences. At the same time, promoting these activities through social media and other online platforms can also expand their influence and attract more external people to join the community.

One Holland Village has approximately 13,500 square meters of retail space and approximately 2,000 square meters of community space, including pet-friendly facilities such as dedicated pet lifts, pet water fountains, and a "pet parking area." This not only injects new vitality into Holland Village and Jimei Garden but also effectively promotes pedestrian traffic and shopper dwell time with its walkable design and family- and pet-friendly environment © Internet

Companion-type businesses become an important part of urban culture by introducing shops, restaurants, and traditional craft shops with local characteristics. For example, inviting local artists to create works on site or holding exhibitions themed on local cultural heritage can both inherit and promote local culture and enhance the community's uniqueness and recognition. Such communities not only attract tourists but also integrate into residents' daily lives, enhancing their sense of belonging and pride.

Conclusion

Traditionally, shopping malls are seen as a stage for the exchange of goods, and customers are purely consumers. However, companion-type businesses are striving to break this one-way transaction model and open up a new interactive contract: it transforms the mall from a mere shopping place into an indispensable part of life, deeply understanding and respecting people's inner pursuit of identity and belonging, elevating commercial activities into an experience on the spiritual and emotional level. As philosopher Martin Buber said, "True encounter occurs in the moment when a real connection is established between people." By strengthening the relationship between "mall and people" and "people and people," companion-type businesses not only provide a new perspective on re-examining the meaning of modern life but also embody the deeper philosophy of seeking lasting connections and common prosperity in a constantly changing world.

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