Downtown Retail - Summer 2018

Buoyed by a couple really strong tourist seasons, the commercial retail market downtown is hitting on all cylinders. There is some general hesitancy in every brick-and-mortar retail market as the impact of online sales continues to be felt, but resort areas tend to buck this global trend to a degree. That’s because vacationers enjoy shopping as a recreational activity and seeing the local color of an area. Don’t get me wrong: Year-round residents are the foundation of successful retailers and restaurants everywhere but having a reliable annual financial infusion from a strong tourist season helps make merchants much more viable.