Staples is rolling out a pilot program to attract more potential shoppers to its stores, and they’ve chosen Boston’s backyard of Danvers, Norwood and Brighton, as the starting ground.

Following in Capital One’s footsteps, the pilot program by Staples is similar in design to that of Capital One’s 360 Café, a partner program Capital One began with Peet’s Coffee Shop and Tea. The principle behind the program is the same: attract more customers to their brick-and-mortar stores. Capital One partnered with Peet’s Coffee Shop to make banking more fun, to attract more people to the bank and make what was once an online space into a physical store.

Staples is trying something similar by converting some of its square-footage into co-working spaces. Partnering with Boston-based company Workbar and Bergmeyer, a design company that makes office space more fun, Staples is adding a co-working space to its stores. Opening three pilot locations in Massachusetts, Staples aims to attract local residents and shoppers to its doors.

The past few years Staples has seen declining sales of over 6 percent, having to close 300 stores since 2013. Part of this has been due to the difficulty in Staples’ ability to compete with online retailers like Amazon.com where one-click ordering and free shipping make it a fast and convenient alternative to traveling to a brick-and-mortar store. Staples hopes to change that.

According to the Boston Globe, “the planned workspaces within Staples stores will be between 2,500 and 3,500 square feet and will be situated at the rear of the retail stores, behind glass-walled partitions that delineate them from the aisles of supplies.” Workbar staff will manage the space designed to accommodate 45-50 people.

Could this be the next iteration of co-working space?

Learn more about today’s dynamic co-working spaces. Come to BisNow’s event on the Creative Office, where Managing Director and Senior Partner of Boston Realty Advisors, Will Catlin, will talk about the factors altering the design of the modern office.

Looking for new office space? Let Boston Realty Advisors guide you. Contact us at info@bradvisors.com to find your new office.