The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) announced it has selected six Arkansas communities to participate in the 2024 Retail Academy program.
The participating communities include Crossett, Hope, Marion, Morrilton, Newport and Stuttgart.
The Retail Academy program provides rural communities with online education, market research and technical assistance to assist with recruiting retail opportunities to their region. The program also aims to provide local leaders with the resources and knowledge needed to recruit and support retail and restaurant businesses in their communities.
Retail Academy was developed by Retail Strategies, a municipal consultancy firm focused on retail recruitment and downtown revitalization based in Birmingham, Alabama. The program will be administered by AEDC’s Community Development Division.
Specific services and resources offered during Retail Academy include customized training, peer analysis, demographic overviews, a retail marketing guide, networking opportunities and access to online courses.
“Attracting retail opportunities is a key element for keeping our local communities growing and vibrant,” Clint O’Neal, executive director of the AEDC, said in a press release. “The Retail Academy program will provide the resources and knowledge that local economic developers need to recruit retail companies to their communities.”
The 2024 Retail Academy program begins Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2025.
“Many deserving communities need better restaurants, grocery stores and shopping options but don’t have the tools or experience to effectively take a proactive approach to recruiting those businesses,” Lacy Beasley, president of Retail Strategies, said in the release. “Retail Academy empowers community leaders with custom retail recruitment plans, training and ongoing support to demystify the process so they can take action.”
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