Are national chains still the key to success?
Like many who work in downtown economic development, people often approach me asking, “Why don’t we get a Gap? (or Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Loft, or H & M.)” It’s a legitimate question. These stores are usually found down the road at the mall and the demographic of the customers often fits well with a particular downtown. […]
Read MoreChanging the Rules
When I first starting working for our Downtown CID (at the time, more a merchant’s association), the general consensus was that we needed to go head-to-head with the mall. Although it was 2000, people still remembered when the opening of Parkade Plaza in the 1960’s decimated downtown retail. In the first year of Parkade opening, […]
Read MoreTrends for Downtown Retail
Interested in what the next year has in store for retail? Carol Gies, presidents of 4Insights, a consulting firm that works with downtowns and other specialty retail areas, shares her thoughts. Who will be buying? The baby boomers are not the primary market they no longer have a steady income and they re worried about […]
Read MoreA Tale of Two Cities, Part 2
A few days ago I spoke with a downtown consultant and brought up my recent trip to Georgetown in Washington, DC. His response? “You can’t build cities that way anymore.” Apparently, most city building codes actually prevent the creation of high-density, multi-use areas like Georgetown. Photo courtesy of virtualtourist.com Georgetown thrives due to many factors […]
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