When we describe a town, it is the small retailers that define it. And in an isolated world where so much of what we buy comes from our phones, it may feel surprising to realize that brick and mortar retail spaces matter more than ever. Let’s explore what it means to be a good-for-society specialty retailer – the forms, patterns and especially the functions of physical shopping spaces where we touch things before buying them and meet real people along the way. — Lisa Uhrik is an Author, Speaker, Teacher, People/Book Spaces Thought Leader, Small Biz and Literacy Advocate, Manufacturing co-owner, President of Franklin Fixtures and leader. Certified as SPHR; M.Ed. Developmental Psychology, M.Ed. Organizational Development, Ph.D work in Community Literacy with an interest in qualitative research and today’s manufacturing/maker spaces.