The Meridian City Council is looking to bring in some outside help in attracting new businesses to the Queen City. In a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the council approved a contract with The Retail Coach to assist the city in recruiting and retaining businesses.

Councilman Joe Norwood Jr., who proposed the city’s contract with The Retail Coach, said the contract will cost $35,000 and last for one year. During that time, The Retail Coach will work to develop data and site profiles of Meridian and use its connections with retailers to identify and recruit businesses that will be a good fit for the area.

Kyle Cofer, who works for The Retail Coach and is based in Tupelo, spoke to the City Council at its July 9 work session and explained retail businesses make decisions where to locate new stores based primarily on data. Having that data available and being able to put it in front of businesses already considered a good fit for Meridian is key in bringing new industries to town, he said.

On its website, The Retail Coach lays out an eight-phase process beginning with an analysis of the current retail market and identifying gaps where existing retail stores are not already offering products. The process continues with identifying the businesses that are a good fit for the community, highlighting development opportunities and creating a marketing and branding strategy for the city to use in attracting retail businesses to town.

Norwood said he first heard about The Retail Coach while at a conference in Las Vegas and thought the company could be an asset to the city. A priority, he said, is bringing grocery stores to the North Hills Street area and the College Park area, both of which lack a nearby location for residents to purchase groceries.

The one-year contract does not guarantee success, Norwood said, but Cofer has already been involved in several businesses in Meridian’s retail industry and will be able to make quick progress.

Councilwoman Romande Walker, who voted against the contract, said she isn’t opposed to bringing in a specialist like Cofer but wanted to explore the city’s options before making a decision. Meridian already works with several agencies, such as East Central Planning and Development District, that may be able to offer comparable services for a lower price, she said.