Pascagoula Retail Market Study Preliminary Recommendations

Today’s Presentation Recap of the market study findings 4 Strategic Themes 18 Recommendations Recommendations Divided Into Priority One: 1-2 years and Priority Two Projects 2-5 years.

Market Analysis - Zip Code Survey Survey Held March Participants tallied –10 retailers –5 restaurant 1377 Recorded Visits 76 Unique American Zip Codes 13 States plus

Where are they from?

The Trade Area Definition

Retail Market Potential

Recruiting & Retaining Customers: Marketing Recommendations Coordinating the Effort: Organizational Recommendations Building Critical Mass: Retail Recruitment Recommendations Retail Development Strategies for Pascagoula The Complete Community: Residential Recommendations

Pascagoula has a well known “brand” identity it is using in many different ways. Downtown Pascagoula itself has a wide array of events and activities and is well known for its revitalization efforts. Yet, the community is not perceived as a “shopping destination” even though the numbers show a different story. There is an opportunity to promote existing shopping and dining in Pascagoula. Marketing Issues

1.The local Pascagoula resident: –To stem retail leakage in certain categories and build pride of place. 2.The regional customer (including employees): –To gain customer loyalty. –To potentially stem future retail growth along I-10 3.The visitor: –A more regional strategy centered on Nature Based Tourism, shipbuilding, and water access. Marketing Targets

Develop a marketing matching grant for businesses. (1) Work on a “shopping and dining” page for the City’s webpage, include a link for shopping and dining on Facebook. (1) Consider a printed shopping and dining “passport.” (consider partnership with Schools) (2) Consider a special late hours/Saturday promotion program: events and marketing (2) Marketing Recommendations

First year: $10,000. Matching “allocation” for ads that use the Pascagoula brand. Merchants may choose preferred media. Web tracking (not discounts) to check progress (particularly important to reconnect to markets that are targets). Consider guerilla marketing tactics. The Marketing Grant Explained

Pascagoula is demonstrating significant retail leakage in several retail categories and significant retail gain in others. Pascagoula has experienced slow growth when compared with nearby communities. Regional commercial growth is likely to cluster along Interstate 10 potentially challenging Pascagoula as a retail destination. Yet Pascagoula remains a huge employment, government, and service center. Pascagoula must be pro-active to capture retail development. Recruitment Issues

Grocer Specialty Shopping and Dining Bookstore Gifts Hobby/Toy/Game Sewing/Craft Clothing Men’s Women’s Family Shoes Full Service Dining Entertainment Retail Targets for Pascagoula

Downtown: –Specialty district –Mom and Pop type shops –Not likely to have chain stores Highway 90 Denny Avenue: –Attractive location for chain stores –Not on the order of magnitude of development along I-10 –Likely to be small inline shopping and pad site development Market Street: –Unusual retail street –Will continue migration toward local retail/service Other Districts: Small Neighborhood Based Retail Retail Districts for Pascagoula

Continue to Aggressively Market Façade Program (1) Develop retail catalyst projects (1-2) –Brumfield Building as art/artisans center –Mississippi Cottages as retail incubator Pursue aggressive recruitment of grocer (1-2) –Corner Market of Hattiesburg or even Coop Market –Consider Site Development Incentive/Land Write Down Explore Recruitment of Specialty Cinema (1-2) –Our Town Cinemas –Cinema Café Consider Farmers Market Downtown (2) Recruitment Recommendations

Population growth in Pascagoula is stable. Yet the population base is older and tends toward lower income levels. Many have expressed concern that those who work in Pascagoula are not living in the community. Insurance is a major obstacle. Residential recruitment will be key to provide a stable retail base in the community. Residential Issues

Widely distribute new Pascagoula book. (1) Assemble a roundtable of targeted employees to assess pros and cons of Pascagoula living. (1) Create a “Live Pascagoula” campaign partnering with local Realtors, Developers, and Employers. (1- 2) Consider Employer Assisted Housing Fund. (2) –Down payment assistance for employees (REACH) –Consider employer developed housing options –Consider mini-real estate investment trust or land trust Residential Recommendations

Pascagoula has a number of initiatives underway and a variety of staff people involved in economic development programs. Sometimes the number of development initiatives causes confusion in the public and opens the door for critique. Yet, Pascagoula is well known as one of the most aggressive communities with regard to redevelopment along the Gulf Coast. Opportunities exist to enhance that stature. Organizational Issues

Create a development “go team” in Pascagoula to share information on development projects. (1) Appoint a volunteer “recruitment team” to solicit interested businesses in locating in Pascagoula using information from this study. (1) Continue referrals to Chamber/County Economic Development for Business Start Up Assistance. (1) Work on a “young professionals” group. (1) Establish 501c3 (501c4) Development Corporation to facilitate projects in this study. (1-2) Develop a “Pascagoula Tomorrow” publication or supplement to existing guidebook. (2) Organizational Recommendations

Next Steps Edits/Comments Strategy Board Report write up