Marketers and business organizations in now-bankrupt Detroit are working to draw new businesses to the city by touting its burgeoning startup scene and increased real estate development. Detroit’s comeback efforts got a boost with the opening of a Whole Foods Market store in the city’s Midtown district on June 5 and last week, Austin, Tex.-based Whole Foods announced solid sales results for the Detroit store.
Sales at Whole Foods’ Detroit location, which has lower prices, fewer staffers, and more pre-packaged and frozen food to accommodate lower-income consumers, were “at least double what we expected it to do, and it’s off to a tremendous start [with] a super-diverse customer base,” David Lannon, executive vice president of operations at Whole Foods, told Supermarket News. The store opening was attended by Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, who said in a press release: “The opening of the first Whole Foods Market in Detroit is a game changer for our city. It … proves that Detroit is an attractive destination for national retailers.”
The city’s marketers still face many challenges. When Detroit filed for bankruptcy on July 18, the city had between $18 to $20 billion in debt, according to its state-appointed emergency manager, Kevyn Orr. In June, The New York Times reported that the city could be forced to sell off its classic car collection to pay off that debt.
No comments:
Post a Comment