Ron Duong Duong: “Many restaurants now employ social-media specialists/managers to generate buzz to their new locations.”

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—Retailers are making sure that they are using all of the resources at their disposal to stay in front of customers, which includes social media to promote their brands and stay connected with customers, Marcus & Millichap’s VP investments and senior director—national retail group Ron Duong tells GlobeSt.com. A recent report from the firm states that Orange County retailers are absorb new development and maintaining key performance indicators. We spoke exclusively with Duong about how Orange County retailers are remaining competitive despite new retail construction deliveries and potentially new competition entering the market and how they’re staying fresh.

GlobeSt.com: What are Orange County retailers are doing to remain competitive in the face of new retail construction deliveries and potentially new retailers entering the market?

Duong: Retailers are making sure that they using all of the resources at their disposal to stay in front of customers. Most notably, social media is a critical part of any successful retailer today. Many restaurants now employ social-media specialists/managers to generate buzz to their new locations. Bloggers with a large following are contracted to write about store openings in order to direct their followers to their clients’ businesses. Customer service and providing a unique in-store experience are now more important than ever before since reputation—good or bad—will travel more rapidly now than ever before in the Facebook/Snapchat/Yelp era.

GlobeSt.com: Do current retailers see the new deliveries as a threat to their own business?

Duong: Yes and no. Some see the additional deliveries as competition, but others will recognize that the retailers are following density, so just as the county population is becoming denser, the hope is that there will be enough business to support the additional competition. Retailers need to innovate and adapt in order to ensure that they capture this new larger base of customers.

GlobeSt.com: What strategies help retailers remain fresh in the face of competition?

Duong: Just as much as retailers are using social media in order to promote their brands, they are also using it to stay more connected with customers. Consumers’ tastes can change rapidly, but social media now allows retailers to get immediate feedback and data from customers to determine what they want as well as what they will want in the future.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about Orange County retailers and new deliveries?

Duong: It’s all about customer experience right now. Retailers that are just a place to purchase goods are struggling as consumers continue to shift more of their purchases online. It’s important that retailers provide to their customers an experience that they can share and talk about online with their family and friends.