Main Street

Main Street refers to the traditional downtown shopping area in smaller towns and
secondary shopping areas in large cities and their suburbs. Over the past 30 years,
many downtowns in small U.S. towns have experienced decay similar to that of inner
cities. When Walmart and other big-box retailers opened freestanding stores on the
outskirts of these towns, local retailers could not compete effectively and went out Page
182 of business. In response, smaller towns are undertaking redevelopment programs
to draw residents back to their downtown areas, and retailers play a major role in these
efforts. To attract consumers and retailers, these Main Street redevelopment efforts
focus on providing a better shopping experience than big-box retailers do. Instead of
streets, they develop pedestrian walkways. Next to major crosswalks, pedestrian
shelters equipped with benches provide shady resting spots for shoppers, helping them
extend their visits and prolong their shopping excursions. Property owners can also
receive grants if they agree to maintain and enhance their shops’ appearance with
necessary repairs, new signage, attractive entrances, attention-grabbing windows, and
nice awnings. Furthermore, the town administrations work to improve downtown
aesthetics with landscaping, which surrounds repaved sidewalks and updated (and
functioning) street lights.20 Main Street locations share most of the characteristics of
locations in gentrified urban areas, but their occupancy costs are generally lower. Main
Street locations do not draw as many people as the CBD because fewer people work in
the area, and the fewer stores generally mean a smaller overall draw to the area. In
addition, Main Streets typically don’t offer the range of entertainment and recreational
activities available in the more successful primary CBDs. Finally, the planning
organization for the town or redevelopment often imposes some restrictions on Main
Street store operations.