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Two-Minute-Tour: Austin, Texas

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The Numbers

America’s second-largest capital city, home to retail giant Whole Foods, the University of Texas and the self-proclaimed “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin has historically been a place where entrepreneurs, politicians and artists peacefully coexist.

The city encompasses 322 square miles and a population of more than 900,000 – a nearly 14-percent increase in the past five years. Based on this upsurge, Austin is poised to eclipse the 20-percent growth it saw between 2000 and 2010.

In recent years, the city – most regarded for its singularity – has gone global. Its economic growth has been attributed to the immense contribution of its annual South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, music and film festival. This past March, the festival celebrated its 29th year, and in 2014, the impact of SXSW’s official events totaled $315 million and drew 134,000 attendees from 87 countries.

The Pulse

Austin’s fondness for all things indie has evolved over the past ten years. While independent retailers are still the majority city-wide, mainstream brands have opened shop alongside local favorites roughly 12 miles north of the downtown area at luxury outdoor shopping, business and residential center, The Domain.

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“People in Austin want high-end brands, as well as the unique,” says Austin resident and native Mary Bledsoe, director workplace studio, Gensler (San Francisco). “A lot of people said, ‘Who would go there? It’s like a mall.’ However, it’s [somewhere] you can have quirky local places [alongside] big anchor tenants. It seems to work really well.”

The Hotspots

While big fashion names have entered the scene outside the metropolitan area, the most buzzed-about retailers remain in the neighborhoods Austin is best known for. A tourist must-see, the South Congress district is the epitome of “Keep Austin Weird” – a phrase the city has dearly embraced in the 15 years since the slogan was coined.

Dubbed the fastest-growing neighborhood in the city, East Austin is the newest haven for the offbeat and quirky. New condo developments and upscale eateries comingle with local standbys: including Taco-Mex, a roadside shack that serves up breakfast tacos – an Austinite favorite; In.gredients – a natural, organic bulk foods store; Coco Coquette – a vintage costume and wig shop; and innumerable unconventional stores that showcase locally crafted goods.

Obstacles/Opportunities

Austin’s most revered trait is also one of its biggest challenges for new retailers. In a city that treasures inventive local retail, it’s not the easiest for chain stores to break through: “Once you pop up in so many locations, your brand starts to blend in,” says Bledsoe. “In this hipster era of handcrafted and farm-to-table, I think you can dilute what’s unique by having too much of it.”

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With its retail expansion through neighborhood revitalization, population growth and acquired acceptance of its international status, Austin is positioned to provide more opportunity to those looking to conceive a new and exciting shopping experience.

“I think there [were] a lot of Austinites worrying that our city [wouldn’t] be ‘weird’ anymore, that it would be homogenized with all the people moving in,” Bledsoe explains. “I think the prevailing spirit of the city is more than strong enough to handle that.”

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