By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Retail Strategies firm is focusing on four main areas of retail growth in Alabaster, and is working to recruit those companies to the city, representatives from the firm told members of the City Council during a Sept. 22 work session.

During the work session, Retail Strategies representatives Scott VonCannon and Joe Strauss gave council members an update on the company’s analysis of the city over the past several months.

In April, the council voted unanimously to hire the Retail Strategies company to recruit businesses on behalf of the city over the next three years. As a result of the service agreement, the city will pay Retail Strategies $40,000 this year and $35,000 during each of the following two years.

Since April, Retail Strategies has conducted a market analysis on the city, has formed a strategic retail plan for the city and is now working to actively recruit businesses to the city, VonCannon said.

Through the market analysis on the city, Retail Strategies determined Alabaster has a trade area of about 140,500, and has a daytime population of 86,949, VonCannon said. More than half of the shoppers within a 10-minute drive of Alabaster fall in the “soccer mom” category, he said.

Alabaster’s demographics are similar to cities such as Smyrna, Tenn., Warner Robbins, Ga., and Broussard, La., meaning Retail Strategies is examining which businesses have been successful in those cities and attempting to recruit them to Alabaster.

“Everyone here knows that more people shop in Alabaster than live in Alabaster,” VonCannon said. “That is what we are trying to market to these retailers.”

Strauss said Retail Strategies examined all commercial real estate in the city, and said the U.S. 31 and Alabama 119 corridors have the most potential for retail growth. The city has a market gap for clothing, building materials and department stores, meaning a significant number of Alabaster residents currently travel outside the city to make those purchases, VonCannon said.

Alabaster has the most potential for growth in the categories of specialty grocery, which includes retailers such as Sprout’s and Fresh Market, wholesale clubs, which includes retailers such as Costo and Sam’s, apparel stores and restaurants, Strauss said, meaning Retail Strategies is heavily focusing on recruitment in those areas.

“National companies have opportunities to open locations in cities like Alabaster all over the country,” VonCannon said. “We are trying to keep this community on the top of their list.”