A rejuvenated downtown shopping district, a community
center close to transit and homes, a regional shopping destination hip to the
latest styles and fashions – whatever your retail goals,
Retail
1-2-3
can help.
A strong retail sector is increasingly important to the
long-term health of local and regional economies. By setting realistic community
goals based on thorough market analyses and planning exercises, which
Retail 1-2-3
describes in detail, your community can put itself on the path to
success.
The book provides a
wealth of information on retail development – from the perspective of both
communities and retailers – in an easy-to-read format, featuring case studies,
step-by-step guides, questions to consider, and lists of resources communities
can consult for free and low-cost help with retail development. Chapters address
how retail fits into an overall economic development strategy; types of retail
development; recent trends in retail; how communities can improve their position
in the market; types of incentives to attract retailers; and how to measure
success.
Among the retail
trends addressed in
Retail 1-2-3
are:
-
Ghost stores
.
Successful redevelopment efforts in the
Chicago
region have reduced the number of
"ghost stores" – empty hulks that give the impression a community has fallen
on hard times. Yet many local communities still struggle with how to recover
when a large retailer closes its doors.
Retail 1-2-3
presents a case study of
Matteson , Ill. , to illustrate how physical and financial incentives, plus
creative communications strategies, can be the perfect recipe for
redevelopment.
-
Mixed-use retail development
.
According to a
recent survey conducted for
Retail Traffic
magazine, "mixed-use is the
dominant retail property type when it comes to both new development and
redevelopment projects" – and the trend is on the rise.
Retail 1-2-3
explains
why mixed-use development – in which retail, residential, office, and/or
transit-oriented uses are clustered – is so hot, and how communities can make
it work for them.
-
Mom-and-Pops vs. national chains
.
As communities
across the region gentrify, their retail markets shift to suit changing
consumer demand. Often, this means they must determine how to balance the
needs of long-time local businesses with growing interest from national
chains.
Retail 1-2-3
addresses the trend with a case
study of Andersonville, a Chicago neighborhood grappling with this dilemma.
-
Increasing ethnic diversity
.
Between 1970 and 2004, Latinos
accounted for 96 percent of the
Chicago
region’s population growth.
Retail 1-2-3
demonstrates the importance of staying current on a community’s changing
demographics, as well as the necessity of meeting changing market
opportunities and demands.
Retail 1-2-3
is the third in a
series of free workbooks designed to help Illinois communities achieve balanced
growth (previous workbooks are
Sensible Tools for Healthy Communities
,
which
guides local officials through the right decisions to create livable
communities,
and
Planning 1-2-3
,
a step-by-step guide for preparing a comprehensive plan in Illinois)
.
Retail 1-2-3
is a publication of the
International
Council of Shopping Centers
(ICSC) and
Metropolitan Planning Council
in
conjunction with the
Campaign for
Sensible Growth
and
Metropolitan
Mayors Caucus
.
Retail 1-2-3
was
released at the ICSC Illinois Alliance and Midwest Idea Exchange, on Tuesday,
Feb. 6, 2007, at Navy Pier in
Chicago
.
To read
Retail 1-2-3
online, visit the
Campaign for
Sensible Growth
Web site.
If you have any questions
concerning
Retail 1-2-3
,
please contact Michael Davidson, manager, Campaign for Sensible Growth, at (312)
863-6009 or
mdavidson@mgrowingsensibly.org
.
