Consumers are more inclined to meet friends in the integral coffee shop within a bookshop and the coffee shop can therefore be seen as a marketing tool which can be used to encourage consumers to experience that integral coffee shop as a third place.
The research enhances scholarly knowledge of the consumer experience in bookshops, evidencing the fact that sometimes it is more important for consumers to spend time and browse, or visit the coffee shop than simply to purchase books. The research findings demonstrate that consumer experiences of bookshops, while meaningful and important for many, often fall short of those qualities which Oldenburg and Brissett (1982) found to be integral to a third place. Most
importantly, Oldenburg and Brissett go on to point out that third places “are places
where people gather primarily to enjoy each other’s company” (Oldenburg and Brissett,
1982, p. 269). This cannot be claimed for bookshops. Future research might explore
whether this is the case for the integral bookshop coffee shop. While people were found
to meet friends in the coffee shop, this might be incidental to the act of book shopping,
rather than being “primarily” to enjoy others’ company. Bookshops provide a place of
relaxation and restoration for many and more research should be undertaken exploring
the other beneficial qualities, which consumers experience in bookshops, such as flow
and the serendipity associated with browsing.