Businesswoman Marie-Anne Raad might be the only Canberra grocer owner with a social media manager.
But it has been key to the Cook store's prosperity against growing competition, along with its gourmet products that Canberrans are willing to travel for.
But the empty space next door is a reminder that many suburban shops are doing it tough in the face of larger precincts, raising questions about the future of a unique and beloved part of Canberra's landscape.
While the ACT government says it has strategies to keep the community's local shops thriving and saving those that aren't, architects and business owners say more needs to be done.
Ms Raad's family's decision to hire a social media manager to shows how some owners are tapping into their creativity to keep business booming. She became teary while saying her store was not a job, but a passion.
"Since we bought this business 14 years ago we have transformed everything, from the shelves, to the products," Ms Raad said.
"We know all our regular customers by name and have unique products that make them come here instead of the big shops."
With Canberra's residential planning increasingly favouring big shopping centres divided by major thoroughfares, these savvy business people are increasingly important for the local shopping space.
That's according to Canberra architect Tony Trobe, who believes the ACT's Territory Plan is restricting the evolution of these cherished community hubs.
"This idea of zoning has killed shopping centres," he said.
"They're not allowed to have apartments there, there's virtually no incentive then to have a restaurant - they fail to be community hub."
Those shopping hubs that do succeed do so "despite the government, rather than because of it".
"It's done by people with an entrepreneurial spirit pushing the boundaries and taking a chance."
Mr Trobe said the ACT should take a leaf out of the book of cosmopolitan cities in Europe where there's a broad mix of businesses and residential density.
"You go into a medieval square in Italy and they've got a chemist, they've got a garage repair shop, they've got a set of apartments. All of these things that give it colour."
Australian Institute of Architects ACT chapter president Alastair Maccallum agrees greater density around Canberra shops is essential.
"Canberra, ironically, is starting to run out of land, apparently. In fact, it's not," he said.
"There are so many parcels of land around local shopping centres that could also, with that precinct planning model, become housing and stop some of the wasted space, give a bit of density, bring a captive body nearby and be recalibrated...there's huge opportunity.
He said that while there was no one-size-fits-all approach, Downer was a good example of land being re-purposed.
ACT Planning Minister Mick Gentleman said the government would focus on building new local shops around medium-density housing and with opportunities for older Canberrans to age-in-place.
He said the government's local shops upgrade program would improve the safety and functionality of the centres.
But only 10 local shops had been upgraded over the past five years, with four more underway. Kim Dang who runs the Narrabundah Pharmacy said hers was one of many businesses that had been overlooked.
Ms Dang said she was struggling to compete with the Chemist Warehouse in Fyshwick, as well as hiking rent prices, limited parking and a lack of government investment in the area.
"We aren't busy like we used to be," she said.
"We had to buy a block next door because we can't afford the rent, but now we don't know if we can afford the new building regulations.
"We just have to hope things will go well once we move."
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