‘Retail Placemaking' All the Rage

ORANGE COUNTY, CA—Have you heard the term “retail placemaking”? The phrase sums up what so many executives in the retail arena have been saying about where the sector is headed, and it’s how John Miller, founder and CEO of developer DJM Capital Partners, describes the evolution.

“It has evolved way beyond boutique,” Miller tells GlobeSt.com. “It’s putting together a mix of uses that create more of an experience instead of satisfying a daily-needs use like groceries or pharmacy. It’s curated with offerings that include a variety of menus and trends, a focus on higher aesthetics and views, and the overall experience of ‘this is a cool place to be’—a place to come back to again and again instead of just a place to shop in. The sensory experience is way beyond shopping.”