Chain Store Age, one of the nation’s leading provider of retail news and analysis for retail headquarters executives across all sectors of the industry, has recently released part of its list of 2022’s ‘Top 10 Retail Experiences’ and MoCo’s very own Rio Lakefront came in at #10. CSA reports on and analyzes trends and strategies in all areas of store operations and store development, including technology, marketing, human resources, finance, store design & construction, facilities management and real estate. They are releasing the top 10 one at a time with only numbers 10 and 9 currently available, so it’s unknown if any other MoCo retail centers will be included on the list.
According to the article, “This year it has put the finishing touches on its transmogrification of RIO, a 610,000-sq.-ft. center in Gaithersburg, a suburb north of the nation’s capital that mixes White House Black Market, Target, and two Marriott hotels with eateries like Yard House, Silver Diner, and True Food Kitchen on the shoreline of a 9-acre lake.“The lake is a unique attraction that has worked great for our food and beverage offerings, which have outdoor seating lakeside,” said Paul Weinschenk, Peterson’s president of retail.”
Rio has recently announced the impending arrival of Sportrock Climbing Centers (taking over part of the space that was previously occupied by Sport & Health (Dave & Buster’s now occupies the other part of the space), and Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen moving in to the former BGR location. They’ll be joining Charley Prime as well as the recently opened Donutchew, as locally-based businesses opening in Gaithersburg’s Rio.
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