Downtown Raleigh Alliance Seeks to Increase Number of Retail Shops

Shop Downtown Raleigh Retail - #DTRetail

Shop Downtown Raleigh Retail – #DTRetail

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) recently announced new incentives for retailers in hopes to fill empty storefront locations with retail shops. The incentives, available to soft-goods retailers, include grants, promotional services, and business planning services. The grants (up to $5,000) have the opportunity to help retailers with up-fit improvements, which in turn, will allow them to dedicate more funds towards marketing, promotion, and inventory. DRA’s promotional aspect of the grant will enable retailers to take advantage of the DRA network as the package can offer a ribbon cutting ceremony, social media/website/newsletter promotion to DRA subscribers, and First Friday promotion. The business planning services offered will inform retailers about benefits of store-front ownership in downtown Raleigh, give access to reports and publications about the area’s future, and give permit and licensing assistance, just to name a few.

Raleigh appears to have had numerous retail changes in the recent months and with this new initiative by the DRA, the retail atmosphere shall continue to evolve in downtown Raleigh.

Speaking of new developments– Gather gift shop and co-working space will move from Cary to Raleigh in the coming months. Gather, a gift and coffee shop, with a co-working counterpart, opened two years ago in Downtown Cary. The owner, Michelle Smith, will continue to sell her goods online and at her Raleigh studio. The studio will be open primarily on Saturdays and during First Friday celebrations. Smith has said the youthful vibe of the area is inspiring as it is also home to the popular Person Street Bar and Yellow Dog Bread Company. Co-working tenant, Sally Raspberry, is interested in taking over the Cary location as she is a practicing massage therapist and yoga instructor. She hopes to maintain an aspect of Gather by displaying artwork from local artists and maintaining a coffee shop.

Gather ‘s Cary location will be open through October 1st and will have many items on sale! Keep your eyes peeled for Gather’s Raleigh studio soon–and new developments in the downtown area! For more information about the DRA’s new initiatives visit their website or contact Bill King at billking@downtownraleigh.org.

 

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