Wellesley government officials are inviting the retail community to come together for an inclusive workshop to help restore the vibrancy to the downtown square.
The Board of Selectmen, Planning Department and Wellesley Chamber of Commerce will host a “Best Retail Practices” workshop March 21 at the library in an effort to brainstorm some ideas to prop up Wellesley Square – a business sector of town beleaguered by closing stores and vacant lots.
According to a joint statement: “This workshop — open to all of the Town’s retail businesses and property owners with retail tenant space — will help retailers, restaurateurs, and property owners take a fresh look at their stores — how they look inside and out; how they are positioned in the community; how they attract and retain customers — and how they can apply current “best practices” to be the best they can be!”
The meeting is March 21 between 8 and 10 a.m. at the library’s main branch.
About the Best Retail Practices program: Best Retail Practices workshops have been delivered in cities across the state as part of small business improvement programs since 2002. Recently the program has been adapted for smaller communities as part of the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative. Christine Moynihan, principal at Retail Visioning, created the program for HUD in Cambridge and has conducted workshops and consulted with hundreds of independent retail businesses over the past ten years. Prior to Retail Visioning, Moynihan was VP of Retail Marketing for Clarks and led store design development for both Clarks and Bostonian stores.