The cities of Grover Beach (13,000) and Arroyo Grande (16,000), California, have hired a consulting company to develop a very detailed behavioral, demographic, and spending profile of their residents and tourists. The company used extensive databases, a geographic information system, and consumer spending data to categorize each household. The cities also provided the consulting firm with addresses and zip codes for all guests who stayed at local hotels. On the basis of lifestyle profiles generated from this information, the company is now identifying retailers whose interests match the cities’ profiles. Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande plan to use the information to show these companies that if they open branches in these cities, their businesses will succeed. The cities split the $60,000 consulting fees, and they predict that any retailer that sets up shop in one of the communities will cause the other community to benefit also. Suzanne Bragdon Economic Development Consultant City of Grover Beach 154 South 8th Street Grover Beach, 93433 805/473-4567 Fax: 805/473-4561 E-mail: sbragdon@grover.org