Spokane Valley, Washington
How Spokane Valley built a retail destination
City of Spokane Valley, Washington reflects on its 10+ year partnership with Retail Strategies
The challenge
Retail without recognition
Before partnering with Retail Strategies, Spokane Valley had plenty of stores but lacked the national and global brands that turn a community into a destination. For a city with ambitions to host national events and draw visitors from across the region, that gap mattered.
The result
Brands that drive growth
Over more than ten years of partnership, Spokane Valley has welcomed major names including Ulta, Dave & Buster’s, Trader Joe’s, and Tractor Supply. Each addition strengthens the city’s position as a regional draw and supports its goal of becoming a destination for national events.
Landing Dave & Buster's
Dave & Buster’s is the kind of entertainment anchor many communities pursue and very few land. In Spokane Valley, it took years of persistence. Retail Strategies worked diligently to keep the city top of mind with the brand and helped identify a prime location for the store. The deal is proof that long-term relationships pay off, especially on projects that take time to develop.
A partnership built to last through city changes
What keeps Spokane Valley renewing year after year? Results.
“The relationship has transcended employee turnover and Council turnover, and is still going strong, as it is about ROI, and Retail Strategies has proven that they deliver,” stated Knutsen.
City staff credit the expertise and industry relationships Retail Strategies brings to the table. As they put it, a city can’t be an expert at everything, but it can recognize excellence when it sees it.
Working together day to day
The city meets with its Retail Strategies team, on a standing monthly call for high-level updates and big-picture questions. But the partnership doesn’t stop there. The team is available whenever the city needs them, and questions sent between calls always get a response and a follow-up.
Because retail deals are often complex and depend on multiple stakeholders, there are usually action items on both sides. That steady, responsive communication is something the city highly values.
Looking Forward
Community leadership driving results
Spokane Valley’s advice is simple: be honest about your limits on bandwidth and expertise, and align them with your goals.
“We are not going to attend every conference or take every phone call from a broker or corporate headquarters. We may have some relationships, but not all, and even the ones we do have, we might not have the capacity to cultivate,” explained Knutsen.
That’s where Retail Strategies fills the gap, managing relationships end to end to get deals started and help the city and its partners push them across the finish line.