TORONTO, May 15 /CNW/ - Economic Development - Toronto City Councilors Irene Jones and Peter Milczyn were among the 70 people gathered at The Assembly Hall last night to hear the results of the Commercial Area Market Study. This study was commissioned by the four South Etobicoke Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), the City of Toronto's Economic Development Division and the South Etobicoke Regeneration Project, an organization that was formed to stimulate the economy in South Etobicoke. The study was funded by the four South Etobicoke BIAs, the City of Toronto and the South Etobicoke Regeneration Project to help local retailers understand how to stimulate their local shopping areas and compete with big box stores and power centres.

Councillor Irene Jones, Ron Nash, Commercial Area Advisor from the City of Toronto, Liz Hercun, representing the BIAs, and Wendy Pinder of the South Etobicoke Regeneration Project, provided background for the study before Richard Talbot of Talbot Consultants International and Market Research Corporation gave his presentation about the Central Market Area Study results.

Talbot has executed numerous studies for large retailers and was able to use some of the same techniques to help South Etobicoke retailers. "We believe," said Talbot, "urban strip retail areas can only compete with enclosed shopping centres if the same level of retail planning and co-ordination is devoted to these retail areas as is devoted to shopping centres."

Talbot added, "The South Etobicoke BIAs needs to re-position to a changing population in the local area and re-merchandise to meet customer need. South Etobicoke customers want to see more local stores and specialty stores and neighbourhoods will benefit by clustering stores together like villages do."

City of Toronto, The South Etobicoke Regeneration Project (SERP), Toronto, Ontario. Update:

The South Etobicoke Regeneration Project is a cooperative venture involving five BIAs, The Small Business and Local Partnerships Office of the City of Toronto's Economic, Development, Tourism and Cultural Division and the South Etobicoke Regeneration Project (SERP). The South Etobicoke Regeneration Project study area is located in the south-east quadrant of The City of Toronto in an area south of the QEW to Lake Ontario, west of the Humber River and east of the Etobicoke Creek. It includes The Mimico by the Lake, Long Branch, Mimico Village and Lakeshore Village BIAs and the Alderwood pending BIA. Talbot Consultants International Inc. was retained to analyse this area (which is typically perceived by investors and businesses as a declining market populated by aging blue collar workers and retirees) and then develop an "Action Plan" to revitalise the South Etobicoke business environment by increasing investment and general economic activity in the area and thus create employment opportunities. Our study showed that this area was in fact currently evolving as a high growth area in transition from “empty-nesters” to “young families”. As a result the majority of the existing retailers and food & beverage outlets were no longer positioned or merchandised correctly and most new format retailers had failed to recognise the rapidly growing market potential. The project has recently been completed with a specific “Action Plan” generated for each of the five BIAs plus an overall “rifle” marketing strategy for the entire Study Area that can now be implemented by The South Etobicoke Regeneration Project team and The City of Toronto’s Economic Development Department. The presentations of the plans to each of the communities and the overall strategy to the City have been received with wide acclaim and a copy of our presentation is now carried on the City of Toronto website .................................