The City is seeking retail advisory services to develop and implement a plan that attracts desirable retail and restaurant businesses to the community. The selected vendor will work closely with City staff to enhance business retention efforts, identify the City’s strengths and weaknesses, and leverage this information to influence retailer location decisions. The vendor will serve as an extension of City staff throughout the engagement. Task A: Market Research & Trade Area Analysis Define trade areas using political boundaries, drive-time radii, and geofencing tools (e.g., mobile location data). Conduct retail leakage and surplus analysis. Deliver psychographic and lifestyle segmentation. Peer community benchmarking and gap analysis. Task B: Real Estate Assessment & Site Activation Catalog and evaluate priority commercial properties and development sites. Engage local brokers and property owners to identify vacancies and redevelopment opportunities. Assess visibility, access, traffic counts, co-tenancy, and site-readiness of parcels. Advise on highest and best use for key properties. Task C: Retail Strategy & Target Recruitment Prepare a comprehensive retail recruitment strategy with at least 30 targeted brands (retail, restaurant, grocery, hospitality, entertainment). Create a marketing guide highlighting Seaside’s demographics, assets, and commercial opportunities. Align strategy with regional trends and community vision. Task D: Business Attraction & Community Representation Represent the City at key industry conferences (e.g., ICSC, Retail Live). Initiate outreach and manage contacts with national and regional brands, brokers, and tenant reps. Schedule and facilitate site visits for prospective businesses. Provide ongoing deal support and relationship management. Task E: Communication, Reporting, and Support Provide quarterly progress reports summarizing outreach, deal flow, and market updates. Maintain shared access to project documentation, site data, and outreach logs (e.g., via Basecamp or similar platform). Schedule regular coordination calls with City staff.
