Following up on the trend of rural experience-based retail, I spotted these Valentine’s Day offerings from my local women’s boutique, The Daisy Village. I’m seeing more and more use of the term “Bar” to refer to any assemble-your-own type experience. Think like a salad bar, where you pick just the parts you want, but for anything from western hats to charm bracelets.

Experiences are a competitive advantage for small town businesses.

The fun of picking your own ingredients and assembling your own product, plus knowing no one else will have one just like yours, equals an experience that online shopping can’t replace. That’s a competitive advantage.

They combined a pop-up from a bakery with a chance to customize and pickup your rose bouquet. Perfect Valentine’s Day retail ideas.

In the same email, the Daisy announced a new Charm Bar so you can pick the charms you want on your jewelry.

Assemble-your-own experiences build community.

While you’re shopping, picking out your own favorite pieces and assembling with your own personal touches, you’re also talking to other people and being physically present in the community. That helps build a strong local community. It’s part of why shopping locally matters to rural places.