LAS VEGAS—During a microlearning session at ICSC Las Vegas, Elliott Cook, the director of real estate and downtown strategies at Retail Strategies, provided valuable insights on how B or C centers can effectively attract and retain national retailers.

Cook's role as a matchmaker between cities, public utilities, and communities was central to his presentation. His firm specializes in bringing the highest and best uses to communities by conducting thorough market research, which includes customized trade area analysis, GAP analysis, peer analysis, prospect and site criteria evaluation, property inventory assessment, and analysis of gross leasable area.

Challenging the conventional perception of communities being confined to their city limits, Cook emphasized the extensive reach of consumer spending. People from a community often venture into neighboring areas to spend their dollars, and likewise, visitors from other communities contribute to the local economy. This realization underscores the need to consider a broader trade area when strategizing to attract national retailers, he explained. "Analyzing drive times and conducting peer analysis to identify similar communities and their successful retail lineups become vital components of this approach," he noted.