Rising costs, economic uncertainty and evolving consumer expectations are reshaping how people engage with brands.

According to BoF and McKinsey & Co.’s The State of Fashion 2025 report, shoppers are increasingly discerning, with more than 40 percent of consumers in the US, UK and Germany spending less on fashion in 2024 than the previous year, even if their discretionary budget had increased. In this climate, acquiring new customers is expensive and retaining existing ones is more critical than ever.

In this context, community building emerges as a vital differentiator. A recent BoF case study titled “How Brands Build Genuine Communities” illustrates how brands such as Bandit Running, Arc’teryx, Aerie, Topicals and KidSuper are creating emotional connections that extend far beyond transactional relationships. Through shared values, activity-based engagement and founder-driven personality, these brands show that building loyalty requires listening and genuine care for customers.

Creating these connections goes beyond social media followings or one-off events and activations. Brands that succeed in forming meaningful communities actively foster safe spaces — both on and offline — where individuals feel recognised, heard and inspired.

For emerging and early-stage brands, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Limited resources, small teams and the need to demonstrate return on investment make thoughtful engagement essential. Yet, when done intentionally, these efforts pay dividends — higher engagement, deeper loyalty and advocacy that amplifies a brand’s story organically.

Real estate developer Brookfield Properties, with its global retail footprint and curated tenant community, seeks to enable these kind of connections. Through strategic store placements, experiential activations and support for early-stage brands, Brookfield Properties aims to empower retailers to translate these community-building strategies into tangible outcomes.

In this fourth and final instalment of this series, in partnership with Brookfield Properties, BoF examines how fashion and beauty brands are cultivating authentic communities, exploring approaches that centre on values, shared experiences and human connections that ultimately define success.

Drawing on insights from our proprietary case study, “How Brands Build Genuine Communities,” as well as exclusive insights from Brookfield Properties and its tenant portfolio, we explore what it takes to create lasting and rewarding relationships with customers.

01 — Turn Group Activity Into Brand Loyalty

Carrie Melissa Jones, CEO of The CMJ Group — an American consultancy helping organisations build communities — previously told BoF that community is about “really caring for customers as whole human beings, not just asking ‘what are they going to buy from me?’, but asking, ‘how can we enable them to live better lives?’”

This sentiment captures the essence of community as a competitive advantage in retail. For early-stage brands, creating genuine connections with customers can increase retention, drive repeat purchases and turn buyers into passionate advocates.

The case study highlights multiple pathways for success — activity-driven engagement, personality-driven leadership and shared values. Bandit Running, for example, illustrates an activity-driven approach.

Rather than creating another run club in Manhattan — where many runners are already part of existing clubs — Bandit opened its West Village store early to accommodate morning runs, providing a service-first environment that prioritised the community’s needs over immediate sales.

Its founder, Nick West, shared in the case study that “approaching any community delicately and understanding the nuances of how that community operates is really important”.

Similarly, Arc’teryx builds community around shared experiences in outdoor sports, offering Arc’teryx Academy clinics that combine skill-building, cultural programming and immersive experiences.

Activewear brand Fabletics has explored a similar approach in California, inviting Brookfield Properties’ Glendale Galleria visitors to join a free one-hour Pilates class to encourage movement, support and self-care during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“Community-driven retail thrives when brands create experiences that bring people together in real-time,” says Erin McCarthy, vice president and head of retail development at Brookfield Properties.

She cites premium activewear and lifestyle brand Rhone as a prime example. “Rhone has done this through its ‘Mind and Muscle’ gatherings at our Tysons Galleria, Oakbrook Center, and Shops at Merrick Park properties, bringing groups together for movement, breathwork and conversations that support both physical and mental well-being.”

Ear piercing and jewellery brand Rowan offers another example, hosting friends or family in-store to celebrate a milestone or special moment.

“This in-store experience is a hit as the brand has expanded their footprint across the US rapidly,” says McCarthy. “When brands foster these shared in-store experiences, retail becomes more than just a place to shop. It becomes a space where people feel connected, supported and part of something bigger.”

02 — Appoint Your Founder as Community Strategic Lead

Personality-driven communities often begin with founders who deeply engage their customers. The case study calls out KidSuper’s Colm Dilane as a best-in-class example. Dilane treats his brand as an extension of himself, personally managing social media posts, engaging with fans and co-creating content. He said in the case study: “I just bring it back to, ‘If I was a young kid, what brand would I support?’”

For early-stage brands, this approach demonstrates that authenticity matters more than scale. A founder’s personality can humanise a brand, making it relatable and approachable. CMJ Group’s Jones states that successful communities “translate the founder’s story into something that resonates with customers’ own experiences,” moving beyond a cult of personality to genuine engagement with the brand itself.

This founder-driven approach aligns with Brookfield Properties’ observation that retail spaces function as more than transactional hubs.

“Founders often set the tone for how their brand’s community takes shape,” adds McCarthy, who cites their tenant Rhone’s co-founder and CEO Nate Checketts, and his personal commitment to purpose and wellness, which features in each part of the brand’s engagement strategy.

She also references Gorjana and Jason Reidel, co-founders of the California-based jewellery brand Gorjana, who work directly on the store design to foster the brand basis in a costal-inspired, warm, approachable environment.

03 — Leverage Your Values as a Unifying Force

Shared values provide a third pathway to community. Brands that authentically embody beliefs aligned with their customers’ priorities can inspire deeper loyalty.

The case study calls out skincare brand Topicals, which has built its community around skin positivity and inclusivity — integrating philanthropy and co-creation into its approach.

Members of its Try Your Best (TYB), a community rewards platform and the brainchild of Outdoor Voices founder Ty Haney, not only provide feedback on products, but participate in challenges and events — resulting in a 53 percent higher lifetime value compared to non-members.

Similarly, apparel and lifestyle brand Aerie has fostered loyalty through body positivity, evolving its campaigns in response to community feedback — with the launch of its Aerie Real Foundation amplifying its social impact.

Chief marketing officer Stacy McCormick said in the case study: “You have got to live those values as a brand. You can’t just put them on paper and advertise them. You have to get behind it and incorporate them into more than just the ad campaign.”

Values-based community building does not require a massive budget — it requires clarity, consistency and authenticity. Integrating these values across product design, customer experience and communications ensures that shoppers feel part of something meaningful.

As Brookfield Properties’ McCarthy adds: “Values become a unifying force when they are truly lived throughout the business.”

She cites footwear and accessories brand Rothy’s, and its commitment to sustainability that “runs through everything they do, from using recycled materials to designing products meant to last”.

“Their focus on circularity and responsible design has created a customer community that connects back to the brand’s mission,” she adds. “When companies live their values consistently, it builds trust and a sense of belonging for customers who want to support something that reflects their own priorities.”

04 — Empower Community Members as Co-Creators

Another essential component of strong brand communities is involving customers in the creation process. As TYB’s Haney stated in the case study: “There’s a real appetite to have an inside look at things, but also be contributors or participants.”

For example, Bandit Running surveys its customers before opening new locations, asking them to vote on product colourways or provide feedback on store experiences. When its Los Angeles location opened in March 2025, Bandit opened the flagship up to leaders within LA’s local running community to collaborate with them on what it could add to the scene as a partner.

Similarly, Topicals solicits community input on new products months before they launch. These approaches allow consumers to feel invested in the brand’s success, reinforcing loyalty and advocacy.

Brookfield Properties also aims to help brands operationalise these strategies in their physical spaces.

“We see many brands using their stores as places to learn alongside their customers, and performance fashion brand Varley is a great example,” says McCarthy. “They built a loyal following through wholesale, listening closely to feedback on fit, fabric and what women wanted from elevated everyday activewear. That same mindset is guiding their move into branded stores like the one at our Oakbrook Center in the Chicago suburbs.”

“Conversations with guests, styling support and engagement with the local community give the Varley team meaningful insight into what their customers want,” she adds. “When brands make room for this kind of exchange, the store becomes more than a place to shop. It becomes a space where insight and loyalty grow together.”

Stores are not just points of sale; they become hubs for engagement, feedback and co-creation. Whether through pop-ups at sporting or experiential events, or in-store workshops, brands can achieve a high level of engagement without excessive overhead.

05 — Translating Community into Tangible Outcomes

Communities that are cultivated authentically translate into measurable business impact. Engagement drives higher repeat purchases, increased lifetime value and stronger brand advocacy.

Social media metrics reflect this — as the case study found, Bandit Running has fewer followers than competitors such as the likes of Nike, but achieves significantly higher engagement rates.

“We consistently see that brands with highly engaged communities translate that energy into real demand,” adds McCarthy. “When customers already feel connected to a brand before they walk in the door, it leads to higher intent, repeat visits and the kind of advocacy that traditional marketing cannot match.”

Key Takeaways

1. Community drives loyalty. In an era of cautious consumer spending, engagement built on shared values, activities or founder personality is a critical differentiator.
2. Authenticity is essential. Emerging brands must commit to genuine connections rather than treating community building as a marketing afterthought.
3. Physical retail is a strategic tool. Stores and pop-ups offer opportunities for co-creation, experiential storytelling and a two-way dialogue — creating emotional resonance that strengthens brand loyalty.

Read all the articles in this series and check out Brookfield Properties’ www.Retailvisory.com for additional retail insights.

This is a sponsored feature paid for by Brookfield Properties as part of a BoF partnership.