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Study: Antioch posts retail sales leakage; council asks staff to pursue broker and business outreach
Summary
A consultant study presented to Antioch council found per‑capita retail leakage in Antioch compared with neighboring cities, strong performance centers at Slaton Ranch and Lone Tree, decline at Summersville Town Center and the mall, and opportunity in business‑to‑business (B2B) taxable sales. Council directed staff to meet with top sales‑tax generators and commercial brokers and to return with quarterly economic‑development updates.
Consultants from Economic & Planning Systems presented a sales‑tax leakage and retail analysis to the Antioch City Council on March 24 that identified pockets of retail strength and clear sources of leakage to neighboring cities.
The report found Antioch has a net retail leakage on a per‑capita basis (roughly $726 per capita in net outflows), driven in part by a contraction in auto sales and the decline of the Summersville Town Center and the mall. Slaton Ranch and the Lone Tree corridor were singled out as the city’s strongest retail assets; brokers told consultants the Slaton Ranch center benefits from adjacency to Brentwood and has strong lease performance. Downtown Antioch, by contrast, has doubled taxable sales over the past decade and shows momentum tied to the 2018 downtown specific plan and recent reinvestment.
Consultants also highlighted that business‑to‑business and stand‑alone commercial sales have shown durable growth and represent an important, less population‑dependent source of taxable revenue for Antioch. They recommended that the city prioritize retention and expansion outreach to high‑generating B2B firms and to maintain active relationships with commercial brokers — a rapid, boots‑on‑the‑ground retention program could prevent loss of major taxpayers and identify impediments to local investment.
Council directed staff to convene business and broker outreach (including a council‑level hearing or roundtable), explore point‑of‑sale capture opportunities, consider streamlining permitting (a one‑stop process), and return with quarterly updates and a plan to implement Natelson/Dale strategic recommendations such as targeted fee waivers, development‑agreement tools and waterfront reinvestment strategies.
Councilmembers emphasized the need to attract stable, higher‑paying jobs (not only retail), and several members pointed to the city’s waterfront, rail spurs and industrial assets as underused economic development opportunities. Staff said they would prepare a schedule for business outreach and a second‑quarter report to the council.
