AMHERST — Online shopping has made it easier than ever to buy things without leaving home. At the same time, places to gather outside work and home can be hard to find.

That’s the environment in which The Hive Collective is making its debut in downtown Amherst.

Is it an art gallery? A retail store? A third place? An event venue?

The answer is all of the above.

“My goal is to provide a shopping experience for people that doesn’t feel like shopping,” said owner Aaron Andrews, who dreamed up the concept of a retail-slash-event space four years ago.

He pitched his idea to John Page, executive director of the Amherst Business Improvement District, and now his doors are open at 49 Boltwood Walk.

Currently, six local artists sell handmade goods at The Hive Collective. Shelves inside the storefront display skincare products, candles, stationery and other creations, while Andrews hopes to expand the roster to include artists working in woodworking, painting, pottery and knitwear.

Beyond retail, the space serves as a venue for workshops and events hosted by the artists themselves. Andrews said creating a place where people can spend time and connect is just as important as the art.

The goal is not simply to sell products. Andrews argues that brick-and-mortar stores must rethink their purpose in an era dominated by online shopping, often using a simple metaphor to explain his vision.

A huge thing for this whole store is that people don’t just buy what you do, they buy why you do it — like they’re buying into a story

“When you’re doing this kind of thing, it’s almost like you’re trying to catch butterflies. You can create a net, but you have to be constantly swinging that net and trying to catch butterflies,” he said.

“Or, you can create a garden that attracts butterflies. And so for me, I feel like the events are the garden — they’re attracting people into the space — and once they’re in the space, there’s a good chance they’re going to buy something as well,” he said.

After operating retail spaces in Thornes Marketplace in Northampton and the Hampshire Mall in Hadley for his handmade skincare line, Beyond Happiness, Andrews learned that retail stores are often at the mercy of fate. They rely on the chance that people walk in, look around, and — best case scenario — make a purchase, he said.

That reality, combined with the region’s enthusiasm for events, became the foundation of his business model.

“If people are not in here constantly buying stuff, a workshop is going on and some sales are coming in from that,” he said. “Whereas traditional retail, it’s like they’re sitting, waiting for customers to come by.”

These events and workshops — many of which feature tutorials on making products by hand — also give consumers a chance to connect with the stories behind the artists and makers, he said.

“Sometimes it’s not enough to just sell stuff — it’s a good idea to teach people how to do it,” said Andrews. “A lot of people think that, ‘oh, you’re creating competition for yourself, people will just do it themselves, why do that?'”

“But I found that people enjoy the process too, and they’re going to buy your work anyways. And a huge thing for this whole store is that people don’t just buy what you do, they buy why you do it — like they’re buying into a story.”

Upcoming events include a skincare party and a wine night with painting.

Certain traditional store elements are lacking, including a register. Instead, the space includes nooks with books and a shrine at the head of the room dedicated to Kid Cudi, one of his favorite rappers from high school. Next to Cudi is a book on Bob Ross, one of his heroes.

These accents surround two picnic-sized tables for people to work on a project or collaborate, whether that be studying, creating a podcast, or starting a project.

“I feel like when I was in high school there were a lot more places you could go to just hang out and chill,” he said. “Nowadays, that’s not the case. Like even coffee shops, there’s always this pressure to buy something if you’re sitting there, and I didn’t want the space to do that. That’s why we have a workspace over there, people who just drop in and do their own work and they don’t have to buy anything in the space.”

The Hive is intentionally open late to accommodate students in the area, who often face limited options since businesses and even libraries often close early.

“Students want something to do, like after class or after school, and the only thing that they can do, not that it’s bad, but go to bars and that kind of thing. Not everyone wants to drink,” he said.

The Hive Collective is open Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For Andrews, who grew up in Northampton and attended Hampshire College, The Hive symbolizes something deeper than a business. As someone who couldn’t stomach the feeling of simply working a nine-to-five job just to make money, he said the space is also a venue to motivate local artists.

“I want this space and I want myself to be a reminder for people that they can be what they love, that they can create art and form the project that they dreamt about,” said Andrews.

He continued: “There’s this misconception, if you’re an artist you can’t really make a living off that. I don’t believe that. I believe that you can, and I want to host workshops, like entrepreneurship workshops where we talk to people about how you can turn your art into a stable, profitable business without losing the touch and feel of being an artist.”

These values were instilled in him at his alma mater, he said.

“Hampshire taught me that we can do something, we can make something that’s true to you, and also make a profit — it’s more about being deeply interested in something, and figuring out a way to share that,” said Andrews.

Ongoing inspirations for him and the heroes that motivate his approach include Bob Ross and Mr. Rogers.

“The ability to make mistakes is something that they preach a lot — your mistakes are actually what build you as a person when you build your brand,” he said. “I used to shy away from my mistakes, and something that Bob Ross would say is sometimes you need to have the dark to have the light; the dark is what creates that contrast and brings the picture together. Without the dark moments or the hard times, your painting will be very flat.”