SaksWorks Is Testing Out The Convergence Of Coworking And Retail

The coworking industry one was promised to be an escape from the mundanity of office life. Harsh lighting, bleak cubicles, and surface-level conversation would be no more.

Companies like WeWork emerged from the woodwork to promise an innovative, youthful atmosphere similar to a hip Silicon Valley office.

However, as the story has gone with much of the real estate industry, coworking spaces were forced to shutter numerous locations throughout the last 18 months. The idea of sitting in close quarters with dozens of people from various companies just didn’t have the same appeal during a global health crisis.

Now, with the lines between home and work increasingly blurring, society is at a point where an office doesn’t sound too scary anymore. 

Companies are transitioning to hybrid work models, and coworking operators have a revitalized sense of purpose to address the need for an alternative office outside of workers’ homes and their company’s headquarters.

This thought process has led to the new venture SaksWorks, a coworking space in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue and WeWork.

SaksWorks has opened two locations over the last month, with one situated on the 10th floor of the company’s Midtown flagship store and the other in the Financial District.

The Fifth Avenue location is a biophilia dream, with walls covered in moss and the ability to pick up a fresh Napa cabbage lined up on the front desk counter. 

Additionally, users can book meeting rooms, order lunch from one of the store’s restaurants, as well as gain access to the numerous phone booths, sofas, and even an on-site gym with Peloton bikes.