The City of Natchez is correct that retail business in our community is almost an industry of itself.

But the city’s focus on trying to recruit more retail to the area needs some more clarity and some tangible, achievable goals before significant resources are thrown at the problem.

Recruiting retail business is not merely as easy as having the right pitch or reaching the correct contact at a business.

For sophisticated retailers, it’s about numbers.

Retailers, particularly savvy national ones often know more about our community’s make-up than local do.

They know what we look like — statistically.

They know how we shop — and where we shop.

They can make pretty good estimates of how their businesses will do in our community.

The biggest challenge facing our area is not our approach; it’s our numbers.

With a declining census population forecast over the last several years, our area is going to struggle to attract large retailers. They would be betting not on how much our area would grow, but on the rate of the decline.

Natchez needs a growing population of employed people. Period.

Our area’s best path to retail is to attract more jobs that, in turn, attract more people to the area. When the people come, retailers will follow. But it starts with having the right consumers in the community first, not just the right retailers.