Getting immersed in the community and fostering a community atmosphere among customers aids a retailer's bottom line, whether the business is small and locally owned or a large global chain, according to research co-authored by a UAH associate professor of marketing. The lead article in the summer issue of the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice demonstrates how retailers benefit from employment of four social functions associated with development of community - socialization, mutual support, social participation and social control. ("The Development of Core Retailer Community Functions"; Todd J. Arnold, Elten Briggs, Timothy D. Landry, Tracy Suter; Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Vol. 21, No. 3, Summer 2013) And fostering community is a huge chunk of the retail equation.