With a focus on enhancing rural prosperity, Valdosta State University’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact invited economic development, city, county, and community leaders from across Georgia to participate in Retail Academy and learn about maximizing retail opportunities in their communities.   

"Retail development plays a unique role in enhancing economic growth and the overall quality of life in rural communities throughout the state,” says Darrell Moore, executive director of VSU’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact. “It's set apart from traditional economic development, and our goal is to empower community leaders with the insights and strategies required to entice retail and restaurant businesses to choose their communities."  

Presented by Retail Strategies, with funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, Retail Academy was an opportunity for Bacon County, Crawford County, Dawson County, Lanier County, Mitchell County, Seminole County, Twiggs County, and Worth County leadership to learn how to attract retail to their rural cities and towns.   

Retail Academy participants learned that data and analytics are the first steps in understanding what retail is the best fit for their individual communities.   

They learned that data provides options and real estate drives decisions — and they walked away with a full data analysis of retail sites in their communities and targeted retailers that match their available real estate. They also learned that the retail real estate industry is built on networking, and they discovered effective outreach strategies for engaging with brokers, developers, and expanding retailers — tools that will help foster successful retail recruitment efforts.    

"Retail is a driving force in local economies, and its integration into a comprehensive development framework is paramount," says Mill Graves, community partnerships director for Retail Strategies. "The state of retail in Georgia is dynamic, and communities that proactively engage with retail attraction will reap significant benefits. We are honored to partner with Valdosta State University and the participating communities in Georgia to enhance their retail landscapes and contribute to their economic vitality."  

Through its Retail Academy, Retail Strategies is committed to empowering communities to ask for what they deserve, educating communities on what similar towns have received, equipping communities to approach retail partners in a smart way, and energizing communities to meet their true potential.   

Retail Strategies is a leading national advisory firm focused on retail market analysis, strategic planning, retail recruitment, and development. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, its mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses. Its activities pay a return in sales taxes, added jobs, and businesses that enhance and add to the unique qualities of a community.  

VSU’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact supports the university in its commitment to positively impact regional progress. The center works with community leaders in the university’s 41-county service area to identify issues they want to confront and then connects those community leaders to VSU faculty, staff, and students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop solutions and accelerate progress toward a better tomorrow.