VPEO STRATEGIC INITIATIVE PROGRESS REPORT Page 1 of 1

   

PROGRESS REPORT: Iowa Retail Initiative

Objectives • Bridge the gaps in current ISU retail programs and projects • Create an ongoing retail program that unifies outreach assistance and provides equity of

access to ISU resources Funding Awarded $250,000.00.    End  Date  6/30/2016  

Funding Expended to Date 6/30/2014: $120,398.26. Progress to Date Objective One: Finding and bridging gaps in current ISU retail programs and projects: Our initial assessment and inventory of the Retail Assistance Footprint at ISU indicated that ISU offers several programs for retail assistance, but they are difficult to find. The IRI Team has worked to create and strengthen connections among ISU units as well as to provide information about existing programs to our constituents.

• Since project inception, IRI has: o Created 17 new connections among ISU units and 2 off-campus connections o Facilitated assistance to 14 communities including 60 retail owners o Provided enhanced learning to 159 students through real-world projects

Objective Two: Create a unified, ongoing retail program that provides equity of access: • Website was developed and launched at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/IRI. • 24 students from the COD Retail-Scapes Studio (senior interdisciplinary class) worked

with a 22-member task force in three SW IA communities. President Leath met with instructors in Red Oak in June to review the students’ work.

• 37 students from 2 classes in CHS worked with 5 small businesses and 2 communities in Story County, providing outreach, retail consulting, and community visioning for strategic success. Work culminated at the 2014 CHS Entrepreneurship Showcase.

• Presentations to peers by various team members at Iowa Arts Summit, American Collegiate Retailing Association, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences--Iowa Affiliate, Tallgrass Prairie Project Workshop.

• Presentation to Ames Retailers at Downtown Business Workshop in May. Next Steps

• Presentation at a2ru National Conference at ISU in November. • Presentation at the Engagement Scholarship Consortium in Edmonton, AB in October. • October 28/29 IRI Team Retreat and Inaugural Retail Academy in LeMars. • Student teams will be working in Storm Lake with interior design for small business

owners, with special emphasis on ethnic stores. • Student teams will be working on marketing, entrepreneurship, community visioning, and

design topics during fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. Approximately 4-6 communities and 60-80 students will be involved.

• Summer 2014: IRI Team began working on project evaluation and impact assessment. • Continuing discussion about IRI sustainability and potential external grant opportunities. • Exploring future program collaborations and research with UW-EX and their First

Impressions program. • Continued community-university engagement opportunities during 2014-2015 AY. • Summer 2015 Retail Summit.

ProductsandServices

Ron Prescott

Susan Erickson

Co-Director

Co-Director

Phone: 515-294-5862

Phone: 515-294-1790

IowaRetailInitiative

Students in Lisa Bates’ and Tom Neppl’s multidisciplinary design studio developed retail concepts to strengthen southwest Iowa’s economy. Photo by Bob Elbert.

Co-Directors

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach programs are available to all without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a US veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture. Cathann A. Kress, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.

The Iowa Retail Initiative (IRI) unites

Extension professionals, researchers,

faculty, students, and community

partners to fulfill the university’s

land-grant mission, combining

service, technology, and creativity to

improve the quality of life in Iowa by

creating thriving rural communities.

The IRI provides a means for collaboration

across the university’s collegiate boundaries to assess business/community needs and provide targeted assistance in diverse retail areas such as: financials,

management/HR, marketing, promotion, customer development, technology/multi-channel, visual

merchandising, assortment planning, store design, branding, downtown environment and street scape design, community branding, and analysis of policy.

Contact IRI for these and various other services available to Iowa’s retailers.

Retail Trade Analysis Reports

Iowa Retail Academy

First Impressions

Great Communities

Student Retail Consultants

Benefits, Benchmarks, Best Practices of Internships

Available for all Iowa Counties and Cities over 500 population.

Community conference based on needs assessment for retail.

Compare your communities to others in Iowa!

ISU’s students learn by working with local retailers to provide them a “toolkit” of suggestions.

Considerations for sponsoring an ISU student intern.

“I definitely liked some of the promotional ideas”, Scott Hallgreen, general manager of the Events Center in Spencer, said. “I can definitely see some of them implemented next year.”

The Daily Reporter - Spencer

Emailiri@iastate.edu

ISU Extension Blogblogs.extension.iastate.edu/

IRI Websitewww.extension.iastate.edu/communities/IRI

IRI Twittertwitter.com/IriRetail

Through the IRI,the products at the end of the class can be disseminated,” said Lisa Bates, lecturer in Interior Design. “So the ideas, best practices and precedent studies can serve as tools and templates that another town can adapt.

Explore the qualities that make communities great.