Even though Story is a tiny business, Ms. Shechtman has cobbled together a variety of revenue streams, and is finding creative ways to make money in an exceptionally difficult retail climate. As an indication that her unusual marketing tactics are succeeding, major sponsors like American Express and General Electric have paid tens of thousands of dollars to take part in one of the store’s singular themes.

“When you look at the square footage certain brands occupy, and you look at the amount of time consumers spend in those spaces, why isn’t that a media channel?” Ms. Shechtman said. The time spent shopping in a store, she continued, “is more than the 30 seconds spent flipping through the pages of a magazine.”

Sponsorships, Ms. Shechtman said, can cost anywhere from $75,000 to $300,000.

Every month or two, the store opens with a new theme. Color Story, which was sponsored by Benjamin Moore, offered merchandise like colorful wireless speakers, bright cashmere socks and lipstick. Home for the Holidays, sponsored by American Express, sold a little something for every gift giver, including headphones, purses, books and bitters for mixing drinks.

The store’s events are themed as well, with Wellness Story offering yoga and Pilates classes, and New York Story hosting a mixology class.

Another major company that has been willing to give Ms. Shechtman’s “retail as media” theory a try is General Electric, which partnered with Ms. Shechtman for a “Making Things” theme. While there were some products to buy — like a build-it-yourself robot that draws, and 3-D printed jewelry — much of the floor space was devoted to G.E. machines that customers could play around with, like 3-D printers and laser cutters. Most of Ms. Shechtman’s revenue in that period came from the sponsorship.