ISSUE 3: CORNER SHOP: articles

Cover author: Capucine Merle @capucine.merle

[issue #3 is sold OUT]

Back cover

With SOAP #3, we look to the often overlooked—the corner shop. This universal entity sits quietly on the periphery, tucked into the city’s folds, easy to ignore but impossible to live without. The very name suggests something small, convenient, and out of sight—there when needed, out of mind when not. But the spätis, bodegas, superettes, and delis of the world are more than just late-night snack stops or last-minute lifesavers. They’ve become woven into the fabric of urban life, holding more value than we often give them credit for. In their own way, they help keep the city—and us—moving forward.

Corner shops are an amalgam of cultures, hosted by people who come from all walks of life, and visited by such. More than a mere convenience store, the neighbourhood corner shop doubles as a market, a pharmacy, a tobacconist, a post office, and at times, a social hub. These small spaces, open 24/7, provide consolation when you need it most and watch countless negotiations unfold: between customer and cashier, between
necessity and impulse, at times, between you and yourself. It’s a comforting and constant presence in the restless, ever-changing city…

Nobody asked, but we delivered! SOAP’s third issue—corner shop—takes you on a world tour through these often-forgotten spaces. From fictional sketches of London’s corner shop clientele to a reimagining of the Parisian streets as boutique-like enclaves, we’re mapping the many roles of the Greek peripteros and dedicating odes to Japanese konbinis. The corner shop evokes heartbreak and consolation on Valentine’s Day, homesickness eased by the familiar shelves of a Polish sklep, and a deep dive into the hidden processes keeping its goods ‘alive’.

So we invite you to dive into this issue with an open heart and a newfound appreciation for your own local convenience store. And when inspiration runs dry, walk the aisles—travel the world through the international delicacies, remedies, and indulgences around each corner. Let the clash of Lebanese pickled veggies in pastel-coloured jugs and vibrant Barilla sauce jars inject colour into the grey monotony of city life. May our contributors’ pieces—what they seek and take from their own ‘magasin du coin'—offer a sense of familiarity and comfort that pulls you to rediscover your own local, dusty corner shop once more.