Maryville, Missouri
Boosting The Local Economy: How One Rural Town Attracted Major Retailers
Nestled in the northwest corner of Missouri, Maryville is a vibrant rural community with a population of 11,000 and a custom trade area population of 55,000. Located in a very accessible part of the state and approximately an hour north of Kansas City International Airport, Maryville is a university town, home to Northwest Missouri State University, which bolsters the demand for retail and restaurants.
As a regional hub for small towns in the surrounding area, Maryville’s accessibility makes it a unique and attractive destination.
Challenge
Maryville faced challenges in retail recruitment, common in rural communities, that stemmed from limited bandwidth from human capital.
“Retail recruitment for a rural community is a unique challenge,” said Greg McDanel, City Manager of Maryville. “In leadership positions you wear a lot of hats, so we had limited time to focus specifically on retail. With retail you have to be able to speak the language in addition to putting in the time and effort for recruitment. It’s been a challenge to devote the time and attention necessary to make a real impact.”
The need for retail recruitment became urgent when JCPenney closed its doors in 2017. This closure left a void that required immediate attention to attract new retailers to fill the clothing demand from consumers and boost the local economy.
Key Areas of Focus
Challenges in Retail Development
Maryville faced significant challenges in retail recruitment, particularly due to limited human capital and the need to speak the language of retail recruitment. The closure of JCPenney in 2017 heightened the urgency to attract new retailers and boost the local economy.
Discovery Phase and Insights
During the Discovery Phase, Retail Strategies provided valuable data, revealing that Maryville’s retail trade area was significantly larger than its population suggested. Mobile data tracking highlighted that Maryville attracted shoppers from many surrounding small towns, establishing a custom trade area of 55,000 people.
Key Retail Wins
The successful recruitment of Starbucks and Marshall’s were major milestones. Starbucks’ entry into the market and Marshall’s filling the vacancy left by JCPenney were achieved through strategic planning and persistent effort. The collaboration between the city, Retail Strategies, and local property owners was crucial in these successes, with Retail Strategies connecting local real estate with national retailers and supporting economic development.
Eye-Opening Insights
After interviewing several retail consulting firms, in the fall of 2019 Maryville started to work with Retail Strategies. During the initial Discovery Phase, Retail Strategies presented data that highlighted the power of mobile data and consumer behavior insights.
“Pulling a mobile data tracking report from our Walmart, the data revealed that Maryville consistently attracts shoppers from many nearby small towns, far beyond our population count,” explained McDanel. “While our population is 11,000, our custom retail trade area is over 55,000. This was a huge discovery and critically important for selling our community.”
The documentation of a custom retail trade area, driven by people coming for basic goods and services, was a game-changer. The city learned that retail recruitment wasn’t just about the local population but the importance of promoting its broader regional draw.
Key Retail Wins in Maryville
A Collaborative Process
At the of the outset of the partnership, the city and Nodaway County Economic Development, the local Economic Development Organization (EDO), communicated to property owners that Retail Strategies was hired to connect the dots between local real estate availability and national retailers.
“We were able to explain to the local community that Retail Strategies speaks the same language as major developers and retail tenants, knowing exactly what national retailers are looking for. Understanding what data and real estate criteria is required for one retailer versus another is very important – and rural community leaders often don’t have that experience and expertise.”
The city and Retail Strategies attend ICSC Vegas, the largest retail real estate conference annually, in tandem. “Retail Strategies can have meetings on our behalf and then we are able to follow up to make face to face connections. It’s very much a collaborative effort.”
Additionally, the local EDO was able to transition to solely focusing on industrial recruitment and housing challenges, while retail economic development is supported by Retail Strategies. The city’s approach of contracting Retail Strategies to work on behalf of local property owners has been instrumental in connecting the dots and securing new retail opportunities.
Advice for City Managers
Greg McDanel, City Manager of Maryville, advises other city managers to consider specialized retail recruitment services. He emphasizes the importance of documenting successes and showcasing the return on investment to elected officials. “It’s a significant investment and elected officials deserve to see that ROI,” stated McDanel.