DCBIA Fall Evening Meeting
Vive La Difference! Redefining the Retail Experience in the District of Columbia
During a recent ICSC program on the revitalization of the Anacostia waterfront area, panelist Harriet Edwards White of Forest City Washington was keen to note that the ultimate success of the street-level components of Forest City’s waterfront projects at the newly named “The Yards,” will depend upon “Point of Difference” retail; that is the inclusion of retailers who will differentiate its project from all others.
This new terminology raises questions about what constitutes “Point of Difference” retail and how to distinguish these specialized retailers? Researchers are starting to define those differences, and leasing specialists are starting to target “point of difference” retailers that are attracted to the District market because of those differences. In some cases those “point of difference” retailers are homegrown in the District, in other cases they are national retailers who have been more successful in the District than other markets around the country, and even include international retailers who have specifically targeted the District.
If you are curious about this new and growing trend that might change the nature of retail in the District of Columbia and other cities, then I invite you to attend the DC Building Industry Association’s Fall Evening Meeting on Thursday, October 26. I will moderate a program entitled “Point of Difference Retail in the District—A View from Behind the Counter.” The program will take place 6:00–8:00 pm at the National Press Club, 13th Floor Ballroom, 14th & F Streets, NW, Washington, DC.
Come and learn about “point of difference” retail from the perspectives of a researcher, a leasing agent and the retailers themselves, and why the District is on the leading edge of a growing retail trend.
Speakers include Harriett Edwards, Vice President Retail Leasing, Forest City Enterprises, Inc.; H. Blount Hunter, President, H. Blount Hunter Retail & Real Estate Research; Gina Schaefer, Owner, Logan, Glover Park, and Tenleytown Hardware Stores; Joy Merrill, Director of Real Estate, Talbot’s; and Paulo Bacchi [invited], Owner, Artefacto.
The program includes a buffet supper and open bar, as well as time to network among colleagues. For more information on the program and to register, visit www.dcbia.org.