By By Kerry Whipple Bean – publisher
Ever give your zip code to a retail store or restaurant when you pay your bill?
A consulting company has offered to tally that data for Brewton and other cities to give them a marketing tool for recruiting new retail.
Coastal Gateway Economic Development Authority President Wiley Blankenship said the data can help Brewton “get on the radar screen” for national retail chains.
For a $25,000 fee - with a discount if Blankenship can recruit at least three cities to join the program - Brewton would receive data showing where residents are shopping and eating throughout the region.
The idea is that city officials could use that information to show, for example, a chain retail store that Brewton could support such a store because of interest from residents already shopping at an out-of-town location.
Buxton buys the information from regional retail outlets and compiles and analyzes them for cities.
Andalusia has been successful using the Buxton data, Blankenship said.
Brewton officials would have more success with retailers if they have this kind of information, rather than “cold-calling” to try to recruit new stores, he said. Brewton officials have already attended retail conventions to try to recruit new businesses.
Brewton council members have not yet made a decision about the program.