Boulder could support retail: survey

Do retail outlets have a future on Boulder’s Main Street? In many rural communities, once-thriving commercial corridors have devolved over the years into blocks of vacant storefronts — and recently, Boulder has lost as many retail businesses as it has added.

But an informal online survey by Boulder entrepreneur Sierra Hall suggests that there’s a market for real-life, brick-and-mortar spaces that offer the right products, services and entertainment.

Last month, Hall invited area residents to weigh in, via a Facebook survey, on the sort of Main Street businesses they might patronize. Some 57 responded – not a scientifically valid sample, but enough to inform constructive guesswork about actual demand.