It’s a small world after all, right?

The news really doesn't come as much of a surprise. Ikea was just another in a list of retailers that have been rethinking their store footprints. With the game plan of its Planning Studios format three years into motion, the furniture retailer opened two locations in California—Los Angeles and Long Beach, respectively. The locations join previously opened formats in New York City, Moscow, Paris and Toronto.

The concept is simple: to reach shoppers living in areas where big-box stores are not present. The 8,000-square-foot to 9,000-square-foot stores focus on items essential for city life, i.e., bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchen. On the horizon are more Planning Studio stores in San Francisco, Tokyo and Rome.

The Best Buys, DSWs, Kohl's, Macy's, Publixs and Targets of the world also have been toying with the smaller-store format.

One of the decisions behind these moves can be found in the strategies created during the pandemic, where many stores struggled with smaller sales and traffic. A recent report by Placer, "Going Big by Going Small: The Small-Format Advantage," found that smaller format stores can help retailers target specific audiences, experiment with new brand concepts and maximize reach while minimizing overhead.

The Placer reports also found that small-format stores can serve as fulfillment centers for click-and-pay shopping, as well as a location for returns (we all have taken advantage of this option), all while fostering brand awareness and customer engagement.

Target stores boast a typical store format of around 130,000 square feet. Of the 150-plus small-format stores it has opened recently, 25 are near college campuses. Catering specifically to students, these campus-oriented stores range from around 13,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet. Walk down the aisles and you will find everything a college student might need, from grab-and-go food, dorm room furnishings, toiletries and school supplies. The campus stores also serve as ecommerce pickup points for students.

In a time of unprecedented change, being able to change with the changes continues to be a boon for the commercial construction industry. Take the GreenWise Market by Publix stores, which have become a community hub by inviting shopping experiences that encourage longer visits and communal engagement.

By helping provide today's consumers on every level a better shopping engagement experience, brands continue to show their ability to not only be resilient, but how to survive when the odds can stack against you.