With the rise of social media, online shopping has snuck into the lives of retailers and consumers all around the world. In an era of pop-up markets, Instagram giveaways and online sales, do retailers really need a "Main Street" store anymore to succeed? 

At West Hollywood Design District's “Design Intersects Everything Made" Conference, local curators, creative directors and artists argued that touch and feel is still a necessary part of the shopping experience.

During the conference, which was free to the public, guests, designers and entrepreneurs moved from the Design Within Reach store to Woven Accents to Camerich along Melrose and Robertson, mimicking the sense of a “progressive” conference. 

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The discussion addressing retail stores was hosted by Darren Gold, the Chairman of the Board of the West Hollywood Design District and President of the Coalition of Los Angeles Designers, at the luxury rug retailer Woven Accents. 

“This day is really to bring together all designers, creatives, retailers and our supporters across Los Angeles, said Gold. "We like to call it the 'thinking man symposium.'" 

Coryander Friend, the co-founder and creative director of Parachute Market, said that having the consumers interact with the product creates the magic of storytelling, which online retailing lacks. 

“With my background in set design, of creating, storytelling, putting it up, letting people experience it, taking it down and doing something entirely different, hosting pop-up markets was really natural for me,” said Friend. 

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Her passion project, Parachute Market, blends the contemporary with the traditional marketplace by bringing together new designers and vintage pieces. Described as “gypsy,” Friend’s pop-up markets move around Los Angeles, creating a space for the consumers and the retailer to come together. 

“I think in order for retailers to succeed with pop-up markets or main street stores, they can’t be cookie-cutter or a template," said Friend. "I would encourage people not to use white walls. They need to create an experience for the consumer to walk into. Online [retailing] cannot do that."

Mark Mousa, founder and creative director of Arteriors, said that as his company started to move towards an online presence, the move to more retailers across the country would not stop. 

“Yes, we have a catalogue that is more like textbook, a website and a blog, but none of those things can create an atmosphere that truly shows off the product in its best light,” said Mousa. 

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Matt Jung, founder of Wellen and Grover clothing companies, explained that his brands have found the most success in physical retail and will continue to move forward in that direction. 

In collaboration with American Rag, Jung’s clothing companies have expanded to a larger audience, however with somewhat higher prices.

“Because [Wellen] is what we like to call a gentleman’s surf company, I think it’s really important that the consumer can come into our store, see our boards, feel the tees and really know what they are paying for," said Jung. 

He said that the in-store experience is crucial for consumers to understand the quality of his products.

For instance, one time people compared his plain men’s T-shirt to a significantly cheaper T-shirt sold at Target. They wouldn't do that if they came into the store, he explained: the retailer-customer relationship in the store, where consumers learn that the shirts are produced right here in Los Angeles, assures shoppers that a Wellen T-shirt will last much longer than a three-pack of tees at a super store. 

As the conservation continued, Jung and Friend decided to plan a surf-inspired pop-up market for spring, and Mousa announced a new Arteriors will be opening in Dallas, proving that indeed, retail is here to stay. 

Contact Staff Reporter Katherine Flynn here.