Development plans by Pamida, Sears, and Wal-Mart focus on providing great general merchandise, groceries, health care and pharmacy. General merchandise stores focus on being convenient to their core clientele and competitive. While the rhetoric around department and discount stores is largely negative, some smaller cities are reorganizing their downtown economic structure in support of department store chain reinvestment.
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With the year 2000 nearly upon us many sectors of the business community are considering the effects of the Y2K computer glitch, or Millennium Bug, on their business. When discussing Y2K it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. Opinions on the impact of Y2K vary widely, with experts often directly contradicting one another.
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Data on retail expenditure potential can be used to provide valuable information for identifying retail expansion and recruitment opportunities in your community. This article provides an overview of a consumer expenditure potential database purchased by the Center for Community Economic Development and presents data to describe buying behavior in Wisconsin.
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By knowing your customer’s home address, or zip code, you can access valuable marketing information. Data describing the predominant clusters that exist in your trade area, conclusions can be drawn on the spending behavior, specifically what things may or may not sell to this segment.
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Retailers who have been successful selling to tourists carefully manage their inventories in response to visitor wants, needs, and expectations. This article summarizes some purchasing strategies used by retailers selling to tourists. The examples presented here to stimulate ideas for businesses in your community.
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A 1997 study of summer visitors to the state by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism reported that shopping and eating at restaurants were the second and third most universal activities enjoyed by visitors. This article looks as the demographics of tourists to assist retail and services business in downtown better serve this segment of their clientele.
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Successful retailers selling to tourists have developed a unique shopping experience for their customers. They have made their stores an attraction in the community, offering the visitor more than just a place to buy goods. These examples reflect business operations in a variety of small communities, with varying levels of tourism activity.
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This article discusses the correlation between changing consumer preferences, shopping mall performance, and how downtowns can respond.
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Successful retailers focused on tourists have accommodated the unique shopping needs of the visitor and have made shopping away from home easier. This article summarizes examples identified through interviews with over 100 retailers in the Midwest. They reflect business operations in a variety of small communities, with varying levels of tourism activity.
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Many communities are turning to the Main Street concept as an alternative to shopping centers. Private and public sector leaders are working together to recreate new town centers. The following is a summary of an article by Charles Lockwood (July 1998), as well as other sources that describe this bold new approach in “suburban renewal.”
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