Cafes in department stores are nothing new. But hybrid retail is going to the next level with increasingly unique co-branding combinations. Co-branded ventures create unique customer experiences that expand the way we think about each of the companies involved. Oftentimes, the participating brands will be very different from one another, adding an element of surprise to the experience.
For example, Glossier and Rhea’s Café in San Francisco created a series of pop-up shops that combined socializing, eating and trying beauty products. Casper is an online mattress brand that partnered with West Elm, a high-end furniture retailer, to allow customers to actually try the mattresses in a bricks-and-mortar setting. Music-streaming app Spotify partnered with Uber to create "a soundtrack for your ride."