BIRMINGHAM, AL (April 28, 2026) – The Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DTLB Alliance) has completed Retail Strategies’ Retail Academy, an intensive, data-driven training program designed to equip economic development professionals with the tools, analytics, and strategic frameworks needed to drive retail recruitment and commercial revitalization. The two-day training took place April 13–14 in Downtown Long Beach, California.
The Retail Academy brought together Alliance leadership, local brokers and City of Long Beach Economic Development staff, and the Retail Strategies team to analyze Downtown Long Beach’s retail environment, with a focus on the Pine Avenue and Promenade corridors — two of the district’s most prominent commercial areas. Training sessions covered consumer demographic analysis, foot traffic data, retailer grading, vacancy assessment, and targeted recruitment strategies tailored to downtown Long Beach’s unique market conditions.
“Downtown Long Beach is at an important inflection point,” said Austin Metoyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance. “We are committed to building a retail ecosystem, with the right partners, that reflects the energy and diversity of our community, and partnering with Retail Strategies gives us a strategic foundation to pursue the right tenants, fill critical vacancies, and strengthen the corridors that define downtown’s identity.”
Downtown Long Beach presents a distinctive set of retail challenges and opportunities. Key focus areas for the training included addressing vacancy rates in large restaurant and ground-floor retail spaces, navigating the relationship between attracting anchor tenants and supporting the Downtown’s vibrant independent business community, and understanding the corridor-specific dynamics of Pine Avenue as a dining and entertainment destination, the East Village as a boutique retail hub, and the waterfront’s national chain concentration.
“This training enhances the data, frameworks, and recruitment tools I utilize to take a more targeted approach to retail economic development in our Downtown,” said Stephanie El Tawil, Economic Development and Policy Manager for the Downtown Long Beach Alliance. “Understanding our consumer base, identifying the right tenant mix for Pine and the Promenade, and having a clear picture of our market will make a real difference in our collaborative efforts with local partners.”
“The Downtown Long Beach Alliance is an incredible organization focused on the economic and community development of vibrant Downtown Long Beach, and we’re thrilled to be selected as a partner to progress their efforts,” said Jessica Bohlen, Director of Community Partnerships at Retail Strategies.
The Retail Academy is designed to leave participating organizations with actionable intelligence and a clear recruitment strategy. Following the training, the Alliance team will work with priority properties identified during the sessions — particularly larger, long-vacant spaces such as ground-floor restaurant and retail sites — to develop targeted outreach to prospective tenants.
About Downtown Long Beach Alliance
The Downtown Long Beach Alliance is the business improvement district organization serving downtown Long Beach, California. The DTLB Alliance is dedicated to creating a safe, clean, and vibrant downtown through advocacy, economic development, marketing, and community programming.
About Retail Academy
Retail Academy is a program developed by the leading national retail advisory firm, Retail Strategies. The program assists communities in strengthening their retail landscape. Communities will be trained and equipped with the tools and education necessary to attract new retailers to their markets, while providing support to their existing local businesses.
To learn more visit https://www.retailstrategies.com/retailacademy/.
