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We asked you to tell us what you want – what you really, really want – and you did just that.

Earlier this week, we posted a simple question in the online poll at natchezdemocrat.com: What retail stores would you like to see locate in the new Trace Town Shopping Center in addition to Hobby Lobby?

We offered up some of the most talked about options: Ulta or Sephora, TJ Maxx, Aldi, Five Below, a movie theater, or an arcade.

As of Friday, more than 1,275 of you have voted, asking for a movie theater (37%) a TJ Maxx (36%), and an Aldi (11%) as the top three options. The remaining votes were spread between Five Below, an arcade and an Ulta or Sephora.

And while simply voting in a poll can’t magically make retail opportunities appear in Natchez, we do hope the developers, elected officials and other entrepreneurs will pay attention to what you’re saying.

Retail and entertainment options are critical to the quality of life in any community. And while the Miss-Lou is blessed with many thriving businesses, taxpayers and voters are quick to point out what our community lacks – including a movie theater, for example.

Understanding what a community wants is important for the recruiters and officials working to bring retail investment to Natchez and Adams County.

Just as important, though, is understanding what our community can support. And that’s the ultimate factor in the equation. Retailers are loathe to share the details on how they evaluate markets for potential expansion – and every retailer has a different set of metrics they consider – things like population, traffic, average income and accessibility all factor into the equation. How Natchez fares as a potential market is anybody’s guess.

Will we get a movie theater? Another grocery store? A national chain discount retailer?

That remains to be seen. The addition of a Hobby Lobby at Trace Town certainly bodes well for the addition of other national retailers, and the local property owner said just this week that the locations available all have been leased.

The city is also doing all it can to help Horne Development Group create a retail development on city-owned land near Walmart on Seargent S. Prentiss Drive, dropping the asking price and agreeing to build an access road on the property.

We, like so many of you, are watching to see if that development comes to fruition.

In the meantime, remember this: while our community may be missing out on some opportunities (such as a movie theater and niche national retailers) we are abundantly rich in locally owned small and medium businesses who serve the Miss-Lou on a daily basis.

These business owners are our friends and neighbors who are willing to invest their time and their resources into the community and often go above and beyond to provide personal service to their customers. They know you. They listen to your wants and feedback. They pay taxes here and donate to our schools, our community fundraisers and the quality of life in our community.

So while it’s fun to imagine what we’d like to have added to our retail options locally, let’s remember to be thankful for what we do have and to support these local businesses today and every day.