Love in the Seafood Section... "On a stifling Friday evening, Andreas Semprich, a 35-year-old single father, decided to go looking for love. Or at least a date. He packed up his two-year-old son and headed to his local Wal-Mart."

I'm not making this up. It's all from a recent Wall Street Journal article, "Wal-Marts in Germany Redefine The Term 'Checkout Aisle'" (Nov 9, 2004). And it works. Sales are up 25% on Friday nights, and 30 couples have found each other.

Yes, Wal-Mart now hosts "Singles Shopping" on Friday nights. Greeters welcome singles with "a glass of sparkling wine and freshly shucked oysters." They take their pictures and provide special
shopping carts with bright-red bows
denoting their unmarried status.

So it got me thinking. Could you apply this to office space? Would your tenants be happier? Could you charge higher rent? Hmm. That's a stretch.

But check out the Gate 3 WorkClub, in Emeryville, CA (Oakland). "It's a haven where you will find workspaces that inspire you, friends and colleagues, supportive staff, advanced systems and your favorite cafe, all combined -- everything you need to successfully pursue your livelihood."

According to founder Neil Goldberg, the WorkClub concept "grew out of monumental shifts in the social fabric of how people work. ... When you're there, you're very likely to have a social experience..." (San Francisco Chronicle, Sep 26, 2004). ... Sounds like Equity Office meets Friends.

--Peter Pike