Detroit is hiring a senior director of retail attraction, a

Detroit is hiring a senior director of retail attraction, a newly created position aimed at coordinating an aggressive push to bring national and regional chains into the city and its neighborhoods — something leaders say has been sorely lacking.

The position has drawn more than 60 applicants and is expected to be filled by July 1, according to DEGC Senior Vice President of Small Business Services Sean Gray. The retail director will report to the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. and work closely with the mayor’s administration to recruit retailers while shaping investment in neighborhood commercial corridors.

The effort comes at a time when Detroit’s retail landscape is growing, but still lacks many of the national chains common in other large cities. A long-anticipated deal for a Target store planned for Midtown fell through in 2024. While downtown and Midtown have added brands including Whole Foods Market, Nike, H&M, Gucci, Gardener White, Lululemon, Apple and a small-format grocery store from Meijer along its main corridors, Detroit still has relatively few major national retailers with storefronts inside city limits compared with peer markets.

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