G. Convenience Stores

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During the holidays, this convenience store owner gives out these plant clippings to their customers that they grow throughout the year. It’s not necessarily to make a profit out of them, but rather it’s just something nice they wanted to do for those who come by all the time. It also so happens that this is my mother in her quarantine fashion! We have this garden at the front of our store that people always like to see, but we never sell them because my parents like plants too much, so we started to give out clippings once we realized the big interest in them and because we started to run out of space. But these plant clippings and relationships that come out of these spaces are the kinds of phenomenons that happen within the convenience store that I am interested in.

Referring to Everyday Urbanism by Margaret Crawford, this idea of Everyday Space is created by the actions of its inhabitants, not by a designer. Convenience Stores are an interesting example of the everyday space because they are in their own category of “vague generic” - they’re not a coffee shop selling coffee, or a clothing store with clothes, they’re a generic program that accepts other uses, allowing for individuals to appropriate the store, or add programs - thus creating this character that provides actions like the plant clippings.

This character has been examined further by Urban Sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his book, “The Great Good Place”, which looks at the spaces in-between the Home and the Workplace, in which he describes the “Third Place”, meaning If the first place is the home, and the second place is the workplace, the third place are the informal public gathering places that are in between that host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the home and work. He states the reason why they’re important is that in order to have a balanced life, you can’t rely heavily on the home as your only nest – there must be a space that fosters and acts as social infrastructure to allow space to have a better sense of belonging in a community.

Examples of third places range from community centres, to libraries, to baths, to barber shops! They don’t necessarily have to be civic places, but overall these spaces encourage the action of gathering to take place.

Oldenburg Categorizes Third Places into Eight Characteristics. He states that these spaces must be on neutral ground, meaning there is little to no obligation to be at the space

A Socio and Economic Leveler
To have Conversation as the main activity, so the idea of conversation as a part program of the space whether it be formal or informal
Accessibility and accommodation, so having the space be physically accessible, but also accommodate the needs of the community
A series of Regulars, so people who come in all the time
A low profile, stating the architecture and design should be “homey” and not pretentious
A Playful Mood, so being welcoming
And, a Home away from home, the idea of the space allowing for occupants to feel like they belong there.

The reason why I would argue that convenience stores are strong examples of third places is because the store allows for all sorts of relations to grow and becomes a space that is relevant to all sorts of people – the store is a necessity in a sense that it serves as an essential business, but also that it caters to the entire public regardless of socio and economic classes. What makes them unique as third places are the agency the program holds, and the changing response and command the store owner has with the community in relation to the programming of the store. Unlike some third places, these stores aren’t always the same. Rather, they respond to their surrounding communities that they are within. They are always distinct throughout.

Grocery stores do the same thing – if there is a large Italian population in the surrounding neighbourhood, a No-Frills would most likely include more cuisine options that are popular in that community, such as larger varieties in pastas. What makes convenience stores different are the informal programs and actions they provide, like the plant clippings or even a bowl of pho. These aren’t necessarily to make a profit, rather it’s to attract traffic, and as methods of keeping their customers happy.

These stores don’t just sell goods and products, but also services.

Convenience Stores are more nimble because they are mom/pop stores – they can go to a coffee grinder next door, or buy specialty curry products from their sister, and then be able to change it up again whenever, unlike a 7-11 where it’s predetermined what products are sold.

These spaces are developed on by the actions of its occupants, and the surrounding residents. If the store is surrounding a community that has interest in vegan diets and queer culture, the store might develop a side formal or informal programs. Same idea applies when these stores are closer to workplaces, they will adapt their program to fit the needs of an office culture – potentially having a shared business centre between the owners and occupants, with informal therapy services for those late nights.Convenience Stores go beyond their retail products and take on other programs that are responsive to their environments, such as restaurants, and galleries.

Three Star Variety
At Three star variety, the shop owners rented out their garage to develop a contemporary art gallery, and shares its kitchen and bathroom between users

UFO Restaurant and Convenience Store
At UFO, the owners sells pho on one side, while acting as a convenience store on the other side – sharing the same counter and dividing up the programs into two

Hong Phat Variety
At my parents store, we started to grow plants and share clippings with our regulars, and sell beef patties to the construction workers who work over at CAMH looking for a quick cheap meal.

Lucky Penny General Store
This is the newest store, the store uses locally sourced goods from the community, and uses it patio as a rentable meeting and party space. Depending on the client, they typically share this space for free.

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Aside from convenience stores, this act of hybridized programming exists throughout Toronto, such as Flowers by Shyu, which acts as a flowershop and a travel agency in the back, and Manata Jewellery that adapted it’s storefront into a service Ontario, while having the jewellery store operations in the back.

However, what is happening to convenience stores today?

01 Convenience Stores are Closing
Generally, many convenience stores are closing. Especially with larger competitors such as 7-11, Shoppers, and Couche-Tard, it becomes more difficult for independent stores to sustain a business when you’re competing against a chain with more resources.

02 The new wave of Mobile Service Apps
The introduction of mobile service apps such as Uber Eats, or this new one called “Corner Shop” has developed a new mode of service that starts to question what convenience really is. Isn’t it more convenient to order things on your phone, and have it delivered to you in under an hour?

03 These stores started as a means to be temporary business practices.
Often run by families, these stores weren’t meant to be a type of “legacy” businesses, like having a cool steel worker family with their children all in the same trade, they were meant to form an income to help create a better life for their children.

When these stores close, they aren’t necessarily being replaced by the larger chains, rather they usually become something else such (like a Vegan restaurant). What happens is that neighbourhoods start losing these resources, and these owners are being pushed out of the community because of high rent and are affected by the gentrification process of the neighbourhood.

These places are closing, because they are mom and pop shops – which enables them to have these qualities that are so special. While they are unique, the reason they are responsive and special is also the cause that they’re closing, it’s because 7-11 is more generic and has a larger supply chain and better access to goods.

However, could that same quality that makes them special, be able to allow them to survive? This doesn’t mean selling boutique pasta sauce, but having additional programs and activities that could provide imagining their extending second life and transformation.

Thus, what are possible secondary programmatic additions that could attach itself to convenience stores in order to develop a new source of income, but also transform the norms of what a convenience store can be. Drop Off Sites for Food Delivery Programs such as Uber Eats, where Convenience Stores can become hubs for people to come and pick up their food for a cheaper delivery fee. A Post Office, which is a practice that has already latched onto some convenience stores, and is something many do already for neighbours who might not be home, and can become pickup sites for a later time. A Compost Bin and Soil Distribution Centre where there can be a compost drop off for the neighbourhood, and turning that compost into soil that can be shared in return. A Tool Kit Library, where the owners, and neighbours can share different tools for a membership fee. A Communal Garden that could have open lots or bins that could be rented, and that could potentially contribute to a Communal Kitchen/Pantry where excess food and goods could be dropped off and shared with anyone who needs it.

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