Plan retail development

The mix of retail functions in the region

Retailing ensures the distribution of goods and services across the region and generates a significant number of quality, non-relocatable jobs. When it is incorporated into the urban fabric, retailing becomes a vector of local identity, a marker for users of the town. It is also a tool for social appeasement: retailing is, by its very presence, reassuring, creating an urban climate of confidence and safety. For a town, a strong and living retail fabric is also evidence of tourist appeal since, in combination with the rest of the infrastructure, a town's retail provision will differentiate it and position it internationally.

Moving towards a tool that assists in political decision-making

Despite these different economic and social aids, retailing often remains hidden in the blind spot of public policies. It is complex to manage and think about since it lies at the intersection of multiple skills that have concentrated on other activity sectors at the expense of this one. The lack of interest paid to retailing in strategic economic development documents is evident. Today, the trend appears to be reversing and the powers of public policies in the field of retail development have developed considerably.

Significant economic and social challenges are presented by retail development, associated with a very strong correlation between retailing and public space, and it is essential to reflect on and draw up a broad outline of such development.

How, then, do you plan retail development when retailing is so cross-sectional and dependent on as many regional competences as stakeholders?

By mobilising all actors in the sector in order to establish a retail development strategy that is proactive, intelligent and dynamic.

So, public authorities, retail associations, retailers... Take a stand and adopt the ... strategy:

• We are designing a retail plan that will show a current and future view of the situation in the sector.
• We are working to establish a vision shared by all retail development actors in the region
• We are mobilising all competent actors to create the action plans to be implemented
• We are applying corrective measures by developing actions to be carried out in the region