Could Your Main Street use an Overhaul?
One of our latest polls was somewhat alarming -- 69% of more than 1,500 small business owners surveyed ranked their Main Streets as mediocre -- or worse!
On the positive side, 30% said their Main Streets were busy and booming and we expected to see more of that sentiment, as other polls about the general economy, the 2019 holiday season, and overall 2019 sales were much more positive.
In fact, we were hoping to write a story about 2020 perhaps becoming the Year of The Main Street Renaissance, but unless you prove this survey wrong in your comments below, we're pretty sure that Renaissance might need to wait for 2021.
But, getting back to our poll at hand, we had many people like Patricia Nossen-Johnson
from Metta Architecture in Portland, OR reveal that "too many homeless people in the downtown make it undesirable for people to shop."
Karen Beadle from PRO Rich Nutrition in Oceanside, CA, echoed those sentiments becoming rather nostalgic about the past.
Missing My Old, Safe Main St.
"I loved downtown, I loved the restaurants, the pier!!" Karen wrote. "I have done Taste of Oceanside 3 times and have added people with us. The real downside now is the homeless population. They are aggressive, dangerous and scary. If I go to a nice restaurant like 333 Pacific, I don't want to be accosted by a scary person grabbing at my left overs. And yes that happens. I don't want to see people high on drugs or shooting up right in front of me. I can no longer enjoy my precious pier or beaches."
Beyond complaints about the homeless from about 35% of the 400+ small business owners who commented after taking the survey, empty storefronts, reduced foot traffic and the lack of fancy boutiques were other frequent complaints from those who found their Main Streets lacking.
"I believe the challenge these days is in business development outside of the food and beverage industry," wrote Jeffrey Nagel from NAGELsport LLC in Edmonds, WA. "Any vibrant main street needs more than coffee, donuts, wine, and flat breads. We need a rebirth of the boutique industry...in my humble opinion. My main street is thriving, but of course I am referring to the nightlife. During the day, I don't give it a thought to visit."
And Lynne Spencer
from
The Lending Corporation in Sarasota, FL said parking and elevated rents are two more big hurdles for Main Street merchants in her town.
"If you didn't have to pay to park, we could do more shopping, eating, spending, etc.," Lynne explained. "Additionally, a lot of stores have gone out of business because of this and the continual increase in rents."
The Upside: Main St. Makeovers
While there was no shortage of complaints or problems raised about the current state of Main Streets, the 30% of respondents with Main Streets they're proud of said it took a lot of work to get there. But that work has resulted in dramatic turnarounds, paying off in communities like Carrollton, GA, Prescott, AZ, and Pittsburgh, PA.
"Our Main Street organization is doing a fantastic job maintaining and increasing the vitality of our downtown," wrote Russ Green from Gallery Row Coffee in Carrollton. "All the events and promotional efforts help keep most businesses hopping. There are nearly no vacancies, although it would help to have more stores remain open for people to visit after eating in one of our fantastic locally owned and independent restaurants. Also, the City needs to address the need for more parking."
Cecelia Jernegan from Forest Villas Hotel in Prescott, AZ also reported some welcome news about her Main Street area.
"I have watched our downtown grow up over the past 25 years," Cecelia wrote. "We now have the BEST city manager, we have a great mayor and passionate city council. We also have very committed and involved citizens that truly care about the direction of our city. The whole greater Prescott region is growing and we are never going to stop the growth. We can certainly respect the land and environment plus hold on to our western heritage. Downtown Prescott and the courthouse plaza needs to keep her charm that so many people are looking for from memories of yesteryear. The Prescott downtown partnership formed in 1999 in conjunction with many other organizations and non profits does a great job. But remember living in paradise begins in your own heart."
There's Always Hope -- Just Look At Pittsburgh Today
And, ending on a super hopeful note, we turn to William Kofmehl from Christian Literacy Associates in the Pittsburgh, PA area.
"As a resident in Pittsburgh metropolitan area for 76 years, I am amazed at what has happened to upgrade so many areas," William wrote. "My children have moved back into Pittsburgh itself to places where their grandparents and great-grandparents originally lived. So many 100 to 150-year-old homes have been wonderfully renovated. So many storefronts have been revamped. I highly recommend anyone wishing to "move out of Los Angeles or San Francisco" to COME TO PITTSBURGH. --- for homes, education, art, medical treatment, etc."
So where does this leave us? We want to hear more from you to see if your Main Street is bucking the negative trend. More important, we also want to know what has worked to revive your Main Street, so that others in our Alignable community can work with their town officials to help to elevate their Main Streets to a much better state. This is a hot topic and could lead to a few follow-up stories, as well.
Thanks for reading and please keep those comments coming!
Comments (1-10)
Over the past year, I've contacted hundreds of 'Main Street' merchants, local Chambers of Commerce, Merchants Associations and similar throughout the US and Canada. In probably 90% of the cases, I've found two ongoing attitudes: they have given up, and/or just refuse to consider new methods to grow or just stay open. Instead of finding, creating and accepting new ways to increase their traffic, too many have taken to the notion in this new age society, everyone wants to buy online. NO! That cannot be further from the truth! I can bring you study after study after study that clearly indicate shoppers want to leave their caves and go personally buy stuff! But instead of incentivizing them through new methods of marketing and customer retention, their approach is as old as the racks on their wall. Greeting them with a hearty "Hi, welcome to my store, would you like a coffee?" and, "If you don't see what you're looking for, I may be able to get it and deliver it to you", or maybe a "Thanks for visiting, here's a 10% coupon on your next visit", work. I'm not suggesting you hoover over them, just provide the reason they aren't using the computer at home or their mobile device - a smiling, walking, talking being.
Want to get them in? Accept new ways that you never tried before!
Nice post.
Old urbanism and the quintessential Main Street or Courthouse Squares across America are jewels we need to preserve and promote. The degradation of commercial shopping in downtowns and inner-city suburbs is a common problem across America. I have performed retail design and signage design audits in downtown commercial areas in the past. Design and management of a commercial district is very important to business success and usability as noted. Main Streets are about the experience, with mix of uses and events to prolong the shopper's visit. Main Streets are competing with suburban shopping and the new "main street" concepts that are now being built. The suburban Interior malls are adding smaller retail frontage buildings to wrap the outside of their malls to entice walkability and experience that is missed on some Main Streets.
Municipalities without funding or mechanisms for setting up a commercial district manager or Main Street Manager don't have the staff and special expertise to design, permit, issue code revisions and review. It's very easy to implement simple, actionable facade improvements without expensive main street engineering of lighting, paving and infrastructure improvements. Shared parking is a must in commercial areas while mixing uses to offset parking demand between retail, office and residential uses. Special shopping events that offer free parking and shuttles can alleviate some of these peak and congestion problems.
Having lived in Takoma Park, Maryland for 42 years, all I can say is that our main street gets better and better every year. Kudos to all those merchants who have created such a diverse and interesting mix of shops and eateries. I love taking my out of town guests up to our Old Town to peruse the wonderful array of unique offerings.
I love downtown Faiefield! True it has more vacancies than desired but it seems to me that since I moved here five years ago, the downtown has become more inviting with new restaurants and more cute shops, hair salons, its nice theater and other businesses. We’re also experiencing an increase in the homeless population, but I am hoping the city has a plan to help them because they need a place to be too! Fairfield downtown has nice wide brick sidewalks And lots of places to rest which makes it a nice place to walk my little dog in any weather. The city keeps the streets amazingly clean! Downtown Fairfield is small but quaint! Keep up the great work Downtown Association!!
This exact topic is what lead us to create a 2 day summit in Keene, NH called Radically Rural on how to bring people together to create a vibrant and thriving small communities. One track is specifically about Main Streets. This year's summit is September 23-24 2020 https://radicallyrural.org/
The key point made in this poll is that almost 70% of entrepreneurs are not seriously considering their options to stay relevant and increase their appeal with current customer demographics. The 30% that are thriving obviously do connect with their customers, so what is the difference?
Many entrepreneurs miss out on opportunities because they think that doing a business plan is relevant only to a new business venture. News Flash: the things that worked 10 – 20 years ago no longer are relevant, but many keep on doing as they always did. In fact, prudent entrepreneurs combine business plans with their annual budget cycle to make sure they stay relevant.
You can still write a positive story about 2020 as the year entrepreneurs found perfect insight into their own business, and into the transformation process to reconnect with their customers. I would think a 70% success rate would be a great target to aim for, because some lines of business will not adapt easily to the new demographics that evolved over time.
So, instead of looking forlorn at the front door waiting for customers to enter, look outside that door, and apply what you learn to your business plan that may establish the strategy for a necessary transition to the business it can be.
That would be awesome for Main Street to come back to life with shopping and eateries, I sure would love to move my boutique there.
I live in Troy and I love our downtown area. Over the past few years, many new stores and restaurants have opened and it's really fun to be able to go downtown and shop, walk around and get a bite to eat. It has been a pleasure to get to know some of the local owners and I believe in supporting my community. This experience beats the mall any day!
Hello - any referrals for Main Street Improvements ... both aesthetically and competitively, especially in the repressed 'retail' market(s) - Thanks!
This post is very interesting. However, Main Street in Johnson City, Tn. and in Jonesborough, Tn. is “THRIVING “. We are having so much growth in both cities it’s unbelievable. While still keeping our cities safe & charming. I grew up in Jonesborough & have lived in Johnson City since 1982. They are just 6 miles from each other. I have seen so much growth & the cities are becoming a Melting Pot community. Diverse families, entertainment, shopping, restaurants, parks, sports etc. You name it, we have. I am a full time Realtor of 17 years & I see first hand the growth. Especially our Main Streets. Come visit us & you will see what I mean. 🏠❤️