Downtown Decoded: How Leesburg Informs Businesses Through Data

Community surveys and market data only matter if people use them. Last month, Leesburg Movement hosted Downtown Decoded, an educational event that gave downtown business owners direct access to consumer and market insights and practical ideas they could implement right away.

Through a short presentation and round table discussions, business owners learned that visitors spend an average of 94 minutes downtown, that weekday foot traffic peaks between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., and that weekends remain the district’s busiest times. They also learned that residents want more opportunities to connect through experiential retail and arts and cultural offerings.

“We can crunch numbers all day long, but it’s what we do with that data that really matters. Getting business owners together to share the same insights, vision, and strategies is key,” said Erin Weston, Executive Director of the Leesburg Movement.

The event grew out of a Transformation Strategy service conducted by Main Street America last fall and gave business owners access to the same information guiding organizational decision-making.

Related Blog: A Deeper Dive into Transformation Strategies

Funded by Virginia Main Street as part of the two-year Mobilizing curriculum, the service included a community survey, in-person focus groups, and a downtown walking tour. Those efforts, combined with demographic and retail market data, informed recommendations presented to the Leesburg Movement Board of Directors. Downtown Decoded extended those insights beyond the boardroom and engaged downtown businesses as partners in implementation.

Leesburg Movement equipped attendees with a one-page handout outlining seven strategies businesses could implement immediately: update Google Business profiles, align operating hours with peak visitation times, host experience-based events, cross-promote neighboring businesses, share stories on social media, build relationships with fellow entrepreneurs, and take advantage of available technical assistance and training. And to keep the conversations going, Leesburg Movement wrapped the event by committing to host monthly business meetups moving forward.

This all proves that Transformation Strategy services don’t end with a final report, and data alone doesn’t revitalize downtowns—conversations do. By sharing insights with business owners and providing clear next steps, Main Street programs build trust, strengthen partnerships, and create momentum for long-term economic vitality.