Retail Recruitment Services

The vendor is required to provide strategic retail recruitment opportunities, engaging prospective retailers and developers, analyzing commercial real estate trends and delivering actionable data to inform policy and investment decisions.
a. Market research and demographics
•    Define retail trade areas using custom boundaries, drive-time analysis, and radii-based mapping to capture accurate market reach. 
•    Conduct and update a retail gap analysis identifying unmet retail demand and leakage within each trade area. 
•    Benchmark town against peer markets and assess consumer segments using psychographic data (e.g., Esri tapestry segmentation or equivalent).
•    Provide on-demand demographic reports with historical, current, and five-year forecast data, including household income, population growth, and consumer spending. 
•    Supply aerial imagery, heat maps, and other customized visual tools to support recruitment and marketing. 
•    Deliver monthly briefings on relevant national, state, and regional retail and real estate trends that may impact town. 
•    Recommend retail types or formats best suited to the evolving demographic and consumer profile of the town.
b. Real estate analysis
•    Maintain a regularly updated inventory of priority commercial properties with redevelopment or infill potential. 
•    Identify specific retail categories with high potential for recruitment based on market demand and competitive gaps. 
•    Monitor and report on leasing activity, occupancy trends, and redevelopment plans in key retail centers and corridors. 
•    Facilitate connections with local and regional brokers, property owners, leasing agents, and developers to share insights and promote investment opportunities. 
•    Provide strategic guidance on zoning, land use, or incentive policy modifications that may enhance the town’s competitiveness.
c. Retail recruitment
•    Conduct proactive outreach to a minimum of 30 qualified retail or restaurant prospects annually, including franchises, regional chains, and anchor tenants. 
•    Provide customized recruitment materials (e.g., retail prospectus, marketing brochures, trade area profiles) tailored to priority retailers. 
•    Maintain timely communication with town staff via email, online project dashboards, or other collaborative platforms, including a town brand package to include a compelling prospectus, trade-area story, and digital marketing collateral.
•    Submit monthly activity reports outlining engagement metrics, prospect pipeline status, and upcoming opportunities. 
•    Included in this report, there shall be information regarding signed letters of intent (LOIS) or executed leases, estimated job creation, tax revenue impacts and business retention strategies. 
•    Facilitate and participate in quarterly virtual or in-person strategy meetings with town staff and the town’s economic development authority (EDA). 
•    Coordinate one-in-person market visits annually to tour the town, meet stakeholders, and present findings. 
•    Deliver an annual presentation at a public town council meeting summarizing accomplishments, challenges, and future opportunities. 
•    Represent the town at relevant retail and real estate trade shows and support scheduling of meetings with retailers and developers. 
•    Provide guidance and develop a comprehensive retail incentive strategy (e.g., lease assistance, façade grants, tax abatements) and advise on policy or zoning adjustments that make town more competitive, where applicable. 
•    Provide, develop, and implement curated retail recruitment strategy that prioritizes a balanced mix of retail aligned with town character and comprehensive plan mixed use hubs with a focus on local, regional, and minority-owned businesses.

- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: August 12, 2025