In 2019, Livingston County Economic Development hired retail consultants Seanette Corkill and Ann Marie Luthro from Frontdoor Back to visit our downtowns as part of Destination Downtown. These retail consultants specialize in shopper behavior patterns and how they affect downtown shopping districts. They spent the evening and another full day evaluating several of our districts. Their presentation “The How Behind the Wow” saw about 80 attendants, mostly retailers in the downtown districts.

In this age of digital shopping, it is more important than ever to create a great experience for customers. Gone are the days of shopping locally out of obligation or duty. The best “buy local” program is creating the great stores and experiences that people desire. Those experiences cannot be bought online or provided by a mass retailer. Frontdoor Back consultants highlighted where and how to compete within a constantly changing retail environment and iterated that Main Street must flourish in its brick-and-mortar format. 

Their presentation focused on curb appeal, powerful window displays, lighting styles, and locations in stores and districts. A shopper’s eyes go where the light flows. Merchants were asked to find ways to create an emotional connection and leverage shopper behavior. Shoppers react to decompression zones, points of recognition, WOW factors, and magic moments, all of which business owners should use to their advantage.

After their presentation, the consultants spent the next two days doing one-on-one consultations with 14 retailers in Lima, Avon, Geneseo, Mount Morris, Dansville, and Leicester. Each business received direct technical advice during the consultation and a written report following. Every one of those merchants has implemented at least one recommendation from the consultants.

The presentation and consultations were extremely well-received, and everyone mentioned at least one positive learning moment they had experienced. Many merchants, even service organizations, have told our office that they’ve made conscious changes to their business since then. We consider this to be one of the most successful programs we have ever run. The presentation was memorable and being able to watch the consultants in action gave our staff a deeper understanding of the principles and implementation logistics of a welcoming storefront. We’re eager to use this information when working with new or existing businesses moving forward.