Atlanta BeltLine Neighborhood Retail and Service Gap Analysis

KB Advisory Group conducts retail market analysis for Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. 

KB Advisory Group (KB) Scope

Atlanta BeltLine Inc. commissioned KB Advisory Group and Contente Consulting, Inc. to conduct a neighborhood-level retail Gap Analysis in areas near the BeltLine to inform the design of small business support services to be delivered as a part of their newly created BeltLine Business Solutions Office.

The first section of the study, Areawide BeltLine Retail Technical Market Analysis, included market research reports for the identified areas of interest, real estate inventory and trend data for the areas of interest, and a forecast of key demographic and economic benchmarks.

The second section of the study, the Community Retail Needs and Opportunity Analysis for Four BeltLine Equity Areas, utilized a qualitative approach to identify market conditions, understand how well consumer needs are being met, provide a retail S.W.O.T. analysis, and research the needs of the entrepreneur and business community.

Existing Conditions

Consultants at KB Advisory Group first sought to characterize the Atlanta BeltLine Planning Area, which was identified as a unique geography. The BeltLine is a ring around and cross-section of Atlanta, which presents challenges when describing a “typical” BeltLine household or neighborhood, characterizing mobility, understanding physical barriers, and identifying a sense of place.

For these reasons, KB consultants analyzed both the BeltLine Planning Area and the 10 planning Subareas to obtain a holistic view of the BeltLine and understand each area’s unique demographic, economic, and commercial characteristics.

The Findings

The study provided insights for the BeltLine Planning Area and each of the 10 Subareas, describing demographics, retail environment, business and employment, and commercial inventory. Key findings are below:

• BeltLine area residents collectively spent $3.0 billion in retail sales in 2022.
• BeltLine retailers collectively sold $3.5 billion in goods and services in 2022.
• The BeltLine Planning Area is home to over 6,400 businesses that employ over 74,000 people.
• The BeltLine Planning Area has nearly 3,000 commercial buildings, including 61,000 multifamily residential units and 11 million square feet of retail space.

KB consultants also provided a community retail needs and opportunity analysis for four BeltLine Equity Areas, including a literature review, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and a S.W.O.T. analysis.