John L. Gann, "How Shopping Centers Can Compete With the Big Box," CarlsonReport, January, 1994.

Malls and merchants facing superstore competitors can compete by doing what superstores don't, differentiating themselves, and by becoming places people go when they're not going shopping.

John L. Gann, Jr., "Selling Your Downtown With Brochures," NYCOM Bulletin (New York State Conference of Mayors), March-April, 2005, p. 18, and May-June, 2005, p. 17.

Analysis of a well-done downtown marketing brochure and other real-world examples yield 10 things to do to better sell downtown.

John L. Gann, "Fighting Back," Florist, January, 1995, p. 79.

The ideas that price is all-important to consumers and small stores can't compete with chains are wrong. Exploiting weaknesses of chains can turn the tide for merchants and declining downtowns.

John L. Gann, Jr., "Reviving Downtowns," Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, February 8, 2009, p. E1.

"It's not the container, it's the contents," says John Gann. "Main Street" programs focus on cosmetic enhancements. But people who make cash registers ring are attracted by what businesses do for them. Main Street has demonized the world's most successful retailer while lavishing billions on aesthetics, money that could have helped build business with better marketing and management.

"Reviving Downtown Marketing: Three Ways to Tackle the Competition,"Downtown Promotion Reporter, March, 1998.

To meet the challenge of competition, downtowns should consider three rules.

Ned P. Rauch, "Mayors Told Downtown Marketing, Not Design, Is Key,"Plattsburgh (NY) Press-Republican, May 18, 2005, p. A1.

"Design shapes what buildings do, but marketing shapes what people do," said John Gann at the New York State Conference of Mayors Main Street Conference. So ailing downtowns must sell themselves to customers instead of relying on cosmetic ornament.

John L. Gann, Jr., "Fighting the Superstores," Residential Lighting, December, 1994.

In an interview, John Gann says Independent stores should study category killers to learn what makes them successful and where they're vulnerable.

John L. Gann, Jr., "Main Street Retailers Have Plenty to Offer that Big Discounters Can't," Flathead Business Journal (Kalispell, MT), Nov. 5, 1993.

Big boxes could be the best thing that ever happened to local stores. Downtowns that add value don't have to compete on price. Downtowns that focus on keeping big boxes out sell themselves short and make big box domination even more likely.

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