ORANGE COUNTY, CA—Have you heard the term “retailplacemaking”? The phrase sums up what so many executivesin the retail arena have been saying about where the sector isheaded, and it's how John Miller, founder and CEOof developer DJM Capital Partners, describes theevolution.

“It has evolved way beyond boutique,” Miller tells GlobeSt.com.“It's putting together a mix of uses that create more of anexperience instead of satisfying a daily-needs use like groceriesor pharmacy. It's curated with offerings that include a variety ofmenus and trends, a focus on higher aesthetics and views, and theoverall experience of 'this is a cool place to be'—a place to comeback to again and again instead of just a place to shop in. Thesensory experience is way beyond shopping.”

DJM is the developer of such iconic placemaking retail andmixed-use Orange County properties as Pacific City in Huntington Beach and Lido Marina Village in Newport Beach. Millersays developing—or in the case of Lido Marina Village,redeveloping—properties like these is “fun andcreative. It takes a little more time and money than traditionaldevelopment, between the aesthetics, thelandscaping and the design, but at the end of the day, yourcustomers—which are divided between retailers, restaurant operatorsand guests—will like it if it's really well thought out.”