Kyle Cofer, a consultant with The Retail Coach, told the Anniston City Council at a work session that retail recruitment must be driven by data and site readiness, saying "the market dictates the opportunity." Aaron Norris, the city’s director of economic development planning, introduced Cofer and other consultants and said the city has been working with the firm to identify prospects and ready sites.

Cofer outlined a multi-step approach that begins with in-depth market analysis and follows with targeted outreach to brokers, developers and brand site selectors. He told council members the firm is pursuing a mix of quick-service, fast-casual and full-service restaurant prospects, smaller-format grocery options and hospitality uses tied to the Summerall development and established retail corridors.

On grocery demand, Cofer cited national retailer activity and told the council that "Aldi has been going in and repurposing quite a few locations in the Southeast" and noted the company’s growth plans as evidence that smaller-format grocers are actively seeking sites. He said many prospects prefer existing, ready-to-occupy space and urged the city to assemble a portfolio of infill and redevelopment-ready properties.

Jennifer Green of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) spoke about how economic-impact studies and geofencing inform recruitment and marketing. "We geofenced it and saw that there was an additional 20,000 people" for a museum study, Green said, explaining that geofencing can reveal uncounted visitors and origin ZIP codes to guide targeted marketing and help retain visitor spending in Anniston.

Council members pressed for specifics on several properties—including an old Shawnee building on McClellan and a Ward 3 commercial building—and raised concerns about whether visitors to the Chief Ladiga Trail and other attractions were spending in Anniston or leaving for nearby towns. Staff and consultants said converting trail and event visitors into local spending will require coordinated marketing and site development.

Next steps noted in the work session included continued consultant outreach to retailers, compiling ready sites for prospects and follow-up briefings for the council. The presentations were followed by the council’s move to budget and agenda items on the work session docket.