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Retail Academy



Helping communities learn to attract retail,
teaching how data provides options,
and real estate drives decisions.


  Education is action
How can we help?
we do this by...

EMPOWERING... communities to ask for what they deserve.

EDUCATING ... communities on what similar towns have received.

EQUIPPING... communities to approach retail partners in a smart way.

ENERGIZING... communities to meet their true potential.


academy

Retail Academy is a self-help course for your city.

Want to learn more?

Clients

We currently work with 60+ communities.

Client Cities  Testimonials

Vital

“Retail recruitment is a vital component of the rural economic development toolbox. The Retail Academy is the perfect program to provide local officials with the knowledge and roadmap to recruit and create jobs.”

~ Joe W. Barker,
Executive Director, Southwest Tennessee Development District

Value

"Our rural communities will benefit greatly from experiencing the Retail Academy process. Data, process, introductions to developers and specific targets were provided to each participant in a customized format. Invaluable."

~ Michael M. Philpot ,
Executive Director, West Tennessee Industrial Association

Resources

“Retail Academy gave us the data and the information to compete for Retail that we would never have been ready to do or able to do before the academy.”
 
 
~ Charlie Rose
Crockett County Chamber Director representing Alamo City and Bells City

You know your detailed story.

Let us give you your retail
story.

Chuck Dart

Yoakum EDC, TX


As the EDC Director in a small rural, city (pop. 6,000), I found traditional retail marketing companies too expensive. Retail Academy provided a greater value, allowing me to focus on identified retailers with the greatest potential fit. The first year resulted in two new retail franchises and one national chain filling 25,000 square feet of existing space and 10,000 square feet of new construction.

Anytime Fitness had already purchased land in a nearby city for a new store. When I presented the franchisee, Chip Bubela, with the demographic marketing materials from Retail Academy and aligned them with available space, “we knew Yoakum would be a home run for an Anytime Fitness”. They opened their new store in December 2018.

The education and marketing materials I received from Retail Academy were a huge help in speeding up the recruitment process.

News

  • As the EDC Director in a small rural, city (pop. 6,000), I found traditional retail marketing companies too expensive.  Retail Academy provided a greater value, allowing me to focus on identified retailers with the greatest potential fit.  The first year resulted in two new retail franchises and one national chain filling 25,000 square feet of existing space and 10,000 square feet of new construction.

     

    Anytime Fitness had already purchased land in a nearby city for a new store.  When I presented the franchisee, Chip Bubela, with the demographic marketing materials from Retail Academy and aligned them with available space, “we knew Yoakum would be a home run for an Anytime Fitness”.   They opened their new store in December 2018.

    The education and marketing materials I received from Retail Academy were a huge help in speeding up the recruitment process.

    Yaokum EDC
  • "Rural is not always a deal breaker. There are companies looking for rural specifically." "Retail Strategies provides our community with the knowledge to identify our prospects and the tools to recruit." Charlie Moore Alamo, TN
    Charlie Moore
  • Amy New
    “The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development is proud to support Retail Academy! Kudos to our community leaders for committing themselves to this effort. Rural communities face a unique set of obstacles when it comes to economic development, and Retail Academy provides the tools necessary to make our communities more attractive to retailers.”
    Assistant Commissioner, Rural Development Department of Economic and Community Department
  • "Retail recruitment is a vital component of the rural economic development toolbox. The Retail Academy is the perfect program to provide local officials with the knowledge and roadmap to recruit and create jobs.”
    Executive Director of Southwest Tennessee Development District
  • “My team and I had an incredible experience at Retail Academy. There was so much information that was pertinent to what we were trying to accomplish . The Retail Academy team tailored everything to meet our needs and were more than willing to work with us to accomplish our goals. I would highly recommend Retail Academy to any community seeking to grow their retail and restaurant base.”
    President, Martinsville Henry County Chamber of Commerce
  • “I attended Retail Academy in March of 2017 and was very impressed with the depth of knowledge, professionalism, focus on the client, and the sincere desire to help our community. The deliverables and training exceeded our expectations. I would recommend Retail Academy to any community leader who is looking to attract retail to their community.”
    CEcD Economic Development Town of Rolesville, NC
  • “Retail Academy afforded us the opportunity to take an in-depth look at New Boston from a retailer’s standpoint. Through the program, we were able to analyze and understand the data and analysis and help focus our efforts on property and land that are best suited for retail development. With the education that we received, we now have the necessary tools and industry connections to effectively recruit retailers to our community.”
    New Boston Industrial Development Corporation
  • As a new Chamber Exec, learning a new community and developing a new retail development strategy where one has not previously been put into place, the experience of Retail Academy is one that I would highly recommend any Board of Directors and/or Municipality to make available to a new Chamber Executive Director or whomever is going to lead the retail development efforts of their community. The level of education provided in understanding the data, in reviewing all possible scenarios of the market trade data, in exposure to experts in the retail development industry and in post-Academy follow-up services from Retail Strategies is excellent. I will be recommending this experience to any colleagues who are new to leadership roles in retail development in their communities.
    Executive Director Covington-Tipton County Chamber of Commerce
  • If your community is desiring a better understanding of retail, what businesses you should be targeting, and how to attract them to your community – you must attend Retail Academy. Their team tailored the information for our communities needs and provided us the back end support needed to execute against our goals. They have been an invaluable partner to our community.
    Executive Director, McCook, NC
 

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