Success Stories In Retail Recruitment



Buxton Helps Brentwood Attract Developers
Sometimes retail development needs a jump start. Economic development professionals in Brentwood, Calif., knew that their city, located in the East San Francisco Bay area, was ready for upscale retail development. After all, residents of this 45,000-person community had to drive more than half an hour to another city to find a mall.

To help them determine the best sites for retail development, city leaders hired Buxton. An analysis of three potential locations proved informative. Although two of the sites showed stronger performance in some factors, the third has superior advantages that the other locations do not. First, it is situated off a new major highway. And second, the location has adequate land available for a large commercial development.

A couple of developers became interested in the site, and eventually one of them proceeded with the plan to build a 460,000-square-foot upscale lifestyle center. Named "The Streets of Brentwood," the development is designed to offer the best in national and regional shopping. To help the developer target the most-suitable retailers, the City of Brentwood contracted with Buxton.

Initial analysis determined that the center’s trade area contained approximately 230,000 people. Based upon the psychographics and demographics of the area, Buxton pinpointed ideal tenants for the new development. The result? A year and a half before its scheduled opening, the first phase of The Streets of Brentwood is leased.

"Buxton supplied the necessary psychographic and demographic information, which we provided to the developer in order to help market the site to qualified tenants," says Courtland Holman, Project Manager of Economic Development, City of Brentwood. "Without the Buxton information, this would have been a much longer process."

The lifestyle center—which will house a multi-screen movie theater, restaurants and exclusive merchants—is just the beginning for Brentwood’s upscale retail growth. Already, the city is working toward commercial development that will enhance Brentwood’s appeal as a retail destination utilizing the analysis on all three locations. In addition, with the help of Buxton’s AutoID product, Brentwood leaders have been in contact with automotive dealership decision-makers, who looked favorably upon the Buxton data. The announcement of a new dealership in Brentwood appears to be only a matter of time.

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