Origianl article by Kelly Hunt
Sep. 22, 2026
Retail Strategies Director of Real Estate Elliott Cook joined city leaders and business owners in West Monroe, Louisiana on Monday, September 22, for a free community breakfast focused on the future of retail in the city.
West Monroe is a Retail Strategies retail recruitment client, and the event, hosted by the City of West Monroe and the West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce at the West Monroe Convention Center, gave residents a chance to weigh in on which businesses the community needs next, from locally owned shops to national chains.
Retail Strategies weighs in on West Monroe’s retail future
Elliott Cook spoke to one of the most common concerns communities raise during retail recruitment: whether bringing in national brands hurts the small businesses already there. His answer was clear. New retail keeps local spending in the market, and that activity lifts the businesses around it.
“Spend dollars to your market. That is not going to cause other businesses to close. It’s going to help those businesses do well. It’s just going to generate more interest. National chains don’t come in to kill the small business. National chains come in because of the small business,” Elliott said.
It’s a point Retail Strategies makes in communities across the country. National retailers look for markets with healthy local commerce, and strong existing businesses are often what puts a city on a brand’s radar in the first place.
Making deals pencil in a high-cost environment
Elliott also addressed the real challenge facing new development today. With construction, land, and material costs all running high, many retail projects struggle to make financial sense for developers.
“West Monroe has made it an initiative that they want to attract retail to their community. They want to continue to evolve that. And because of that, we want to continue to see success, whether existing businesses or new businesses. It’s really hard to get real estate development deals to pencil right now. Construction costs are high, land costs are high, material costs, all the things are really difficult right now. So how can the city be a part of an incentive strategy that potentially attracts new businesses or has people reinvest in some of the existing centers or existing businesses as well?” Elliott said.
That question of how a city can close the gap through incentives and partnership is a key part of Retail Strategies’ work with West Monroe. Helping the city understand what developers and retailers need to move forward is often the difference between interest and an open door.
We are proud of our partnership with the City of West Monroe on its retail recruitment efforts, and we look forward to continuing that work as the city grows.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is the national expert in community development and retail economic development. Our mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality-of-life amenities. We confidently pursue this mission by delivering unparalleled customer service as a unified team with unmatched real estate and community development expertise. Our activities pay a return in sales taxes, added jobs, and businesses that enhance and add to the unique qualities of your community.
