(Chain) retailers gauge region’s prospects

The Examiner also has the article "Retailers gauge region’s prospects ," (which is online) about the ICSC Mid-Atlantic Conference. ICSC, the International Council of Shopping Centers, focuses almost exclusively on the attraction of chain stores to to nationally-developed and financed shopping centers.

The almost exclusive focus on the attraction of chain stores to the city of Washington has at least three serious downsides:

(1) it homogenizes the retail offer, reducing the uniqueness and attraction of the shopping experience in the center city;

(2) the increase in the number of national participants in what was once a "local" real estate market increases rents, which further hinders the development of locally owned businesses;

(3) chain stores tend not to participate in local business development efforts (i.e., membership of a neighborhood business association, hiring high school students as additional employees--I once painted book shelves at the local drug store when I was in fourth grade, and collected shopping carts around Christmas for a local grocery store); and

(4) chain stores return less than 1/3 of the amount earned to the local economy compared to locally owned businesses.

From the article:

Coming soon? Retailers looking to expand to the Washington region:
- Blue Tulip – all-occasion highend stationary and gift store
- Chin’s Asia Fresh – restaurant featuring wok-prepared entrees
- Ellwood Thompson’s Natural Market – specialty grocery store
- Salad Works – fast-food salads
- JW Tumbles – children’s gym
- First Watch – breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant
- Wireless Toyz – a cellular superstore
- Ulta – cosmetics, fragrances and salon
- Eastern Petroleum – gas station with takeout and car wash

Index Keywords: retail