Council approves 3‑year retail recruitment contract with Retail Strategies

The council approved a three‑year agreement with Retail Strategies to support retail recruitment and market analytics for $45,000 per year. Community Relations Manager Brian Johnson said previous engagements with the firm included a downtown strategic plan and training; the new contract would provide the full service package and access to a data product called Calibrate for visitation metrics.

Councilmembers asked about demonstrated results; staff said past interactions produced training and limited deliverables and that full implementation with Retail Strategies is intended to generate retail leads and reduce city staff travel costs by leveraging the consultant’s relationships. The contract passed on the consent calendar after the item was pulled for clarification and discussion.