The City of Early has partnered with the Retail Coach, a retail recruitment firm, to help expand the city’s retail base.
This partnership will ensure that Early remains aggressive as the City pursues new retail development.
“Timing is everything, and with the Heartland Mall recently going on the market, as well as several other properties becoming available, Early has the immediate potential for both re-development and new development,” said Aaron Farmer with the Retail Coach.
The Retail Coach has been responsible for a large number of retailers and restaurants locating in the region, including the upcoming opening of United Grocers in Brownwood.
“We chose to work with The Retail Coach because of their reputation, unprecedented success in the region and willingness to be hands on in our community during the process,” said Early City Administrator Tony Aaron.
The Retail Coach will complete a License Plate Analysis in the region over the next few weeks and months. The information collected during this analysis will provide factual data to retailers, restaurants and developers looking to locate a store or development in Early.“We are excited about the new retail prospects this partnership will bring, but also the application of the data and analysis for existing Early businesses to help better understand more about the Early consumer”, said Shawn Russell, Director of the Early Economic Development Corporation and Early Chamber of Commerce.
A Retail Gap/Opportunity Analysis will also be performed to determine surpluses and leakages in more than 80 specific retail sectors. The Retail Coach team will use its unsurpassed access to retailers and developers to recruit businesses that fit Early’s specific needs.
The Retail Coach will also represent Early at upcoming International Council of Shopping Centers events, including the annual ICSC Real Estate Conference (RECon) May 17-20 and the ICSC Texas Conference in November.
“We have already set up multiple meetings with retailers and developers interested in Early, and expect ICSC RECon to be a big step for The City of Early,” said Farmer.
“With the help of The Retail Coach, we hope to advance our position as a strong retail community and keep more of our dollars local,” said Tony Aaron.
“With the Heartland Mall for sale and the availability of land for sale in and around the Highway 183 north intersection, I think that we are at a very critical time that can affect the City of Early’s future for years to come. By being proactive in promoting our community by recruiting developers and retailers we are taking the steps to insure that that future is a bright one for our citizens,” said Councilman Benny Allcorn.
