Community Retail Marketing Program
This regional staff facilitated program involves a two hour presentation for community retail development to be made to local economic development organizations or local units of governments. If you are interested in this presentation for your community, select MDA Regional Office to find the MDA office closest to you.
The establishment of retail stores in communities can be as important economically to local cities and communities as being able to secure a manufacturing facility. Meaningful manufacturing projects are few and far between in today’s environment of high labor costs and offshore production. By seeking the right retail outlets, local communities can provide jobs which will provide salaries to local residents as well as services. The sales tax receipts, which come from these salaries and services, will add to the revenues of the local communities. The additional revenues will increase the community’s ability to better provide for its citizens by having the funds to improve the infrastructure, thereby improving the quality of life for all.
Each community must identify and seek out the correct retail establishment. Establishing retail just for the sake of establishing retail could prove to be counter-productive. If one seeks a particular retail business and it fails, a sense of negativism could arise and demoralize the citizens of the community. However, if the proper method of research is implemented to determine what type of retail is actually needed, success would more likely be attainable. One of the most important things local communities can do to make the correct decision and establish a successful and healthy business climate is to involve the local citizenry in the process.
In order to establish the essential criteria for the Community Retail Marketing Program, local economic developers, MDA regional office staff, and Mississippi Main Street Association personnel all contributed information in developing a checklist of things to do in order to select the retail entity most likely to be successful within each community. After the best retail business has been identified, local entities can engage with state agencies, Universities and other identified entities to develop the information and statistics needed to properly market their communities to the desired retailers. These sources will also help verify that this is the correct retail establishment for the community.
The approximately two hour presentation will be made by MDA regional office staff professionals and will address the following topic areas.
- Identify What Type Retail Needed For Community
- Community Background Information
- Tools Used To Determine Retail Sales
- Selection Of Correct Retail For Community
- Physically Recruit Targeted Industry
- Tools Needed For The Community Team
- Partial Information Services
- Complete Information Services
- Available Funds
For more information:
Regional Services Division
Telephone: 601.359.2457
Fax: 601.359.5042
REGIONAL1@mississippi.org