Its no secret that traditional brick-and-mortar business took a big hit during the pandemic, while the already booming e-commerce sector saw massive growth as people began ordering their everyday needs directly to their door. While many central business districts are still be reeling from COVID related closures and people’s continued reluctance to shop in person due to the DELTA variant, Decatur is looking to bring some of the new e-commerce business into the real world.
The City of Decatur and the Decatur Downtown Development Authority (DDA) announced Monday that they are committing $25,000 to help online retailers secure space at pop-up and co-op spaces through an innovate new Retail Incubator Program. The program will provide rental assistance for up to six businesses for six-month leases in the downtown area, and will additionally offer training and mentorship to recipients from successful members of the local business community.
The program hopes to build on Decatur’s history of having a prosperous central business district, while helping to jump start the city’s transition back to in-person commerce. “From The Square to the Old Depot District, our economy is largely built on experiences, so the incubator is an investment both in our future and budding entrepreneurs,” said Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett. The ultimate aim of the program is to help transition e-commerce or festival/expo only businesses into a permanent, full-time retail location. Connar McNally, Chair of the DDA, cites similar programs that have been “very successful in places like Memphis, Tenn., and Dayton, Ohio” according to DDA research.
The program is limiting eligible applicants to those that have been operating for at least two years but have no more than 10 employees. The applicant will pay half of the rent for a temporary space, while the DDA will pay the other half and help negotiate lease terms. Applicants will need to share a business plan along with the application, which is due September 5th at 5PM. Applications can be found at DecaturDDA.com/Incubator. For more information, email Shirley Baylis at [email protected].
