The City of College Station wants to know which stores you’d like to see come to the area.
Grow College Station is hosting their quarterly Shape College Station survey, and this go ’round, you can have your say in what shopping destinations you think are missing.
Options on the survey include Dick’s Sporting Goods, an Apple Store, IKEA, a LEGO Store, Pottery Barn, The Container Store, and Micro Center! And of course there’s Trader Joe’s. Anytime someone mentions a new place on Facebook and Nextdoor, the overwhelming response is always Trader Joe’s.
You can also write in your favorites.
The survey is literally one click. It’s open through November 30th. Share your picks at GrowCollegeStation.com, then see what everyone else has to say.
According to Grow College Station, the City’s economic development team uses survey responses to have conversations with retailers, developers, and site selectors. When a brand weighs a new market, evidence of local demand is part of the business case and resident input helps the City make that case with real numbers instead of assumptions.
“Every time a resident drives to Houston or Austin to shop, that’s convenience and revenue leaving College Station,” said Michael Ostrowski, chief development officer for the City of College Station. “Retailers are paying attention to College Station right now, and the strongest thing we can bring to the table is proof that our residents want them here. Shape College Station turns what people talk about around the dinner table into useable data.”
The City doesn’t decide which businesses open in College Station — retailers make those calls based on their own market analysis — but resident input helps shape recruitment priorities and gives Grow College Station a clearer picture of where demand exists. Strong local retail keeps shopping dollars in College Station, supports sales tax revenue that funds city services, and adds to the quality of life that helps the city attract and keep talent.
College Station’s retail landscape continues to grow, including the recent openings of Sprouts and Aerie. Tecovas will be opening soon at Century Square and there’s the recently announced Bass Pro Shops that will be going in near Costco.
Grow College Station will compile responses after the survey closes at the end of November and share results in December on GrowCollegeStation.com and the City’s social media channels. Shape College Station poses a new question each quarter about the restaurants, shops and attractions residents want to see.
In their last survey, they asked which restaurants residents would like to see. The top answer: Waffle House. The top 10 were (in order):
- Waffle House
- In-N-Out Burger
- Hat Creek Burger Company
- Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Pappadeaux Seafood
- P. Terry’s Burger Stand
- Pappasito’s Cantina
- Culver’s
- P.F. Chang’s
About Grow College Station: Grow College Station is the City of College Station’s official economic development and strategic growth platform, coordinating and accelerating long-term economic diversification for the community. Grow College Station connects site selectors, industry leaders and business partners to the tools, opportunities and civic leadership needed to grow — supporting a diversified, resilient economy where talent stays, businesses scale and growth is intentional.
For more on College Station’s growth and development opportunities, visit GrowCollegeStation.com.
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