On Friday, November 2, NewTown Macon celebrated the grand opening of the Macon Exchange in downtown Macon, a retail incubator made possible by the Downtown Challenge Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.
 
“I was inspired to create the Macon Exchange after a visit to the Northside Marketplace, a retail incubator in my hometown of Akron, Ohio,” said David Moore, Project Manager of NewTown Macon. “I thought it would be great to create a space where the stress of operating a retail store is taken away, allowing artisans and crafters to focus on growing their businesses. The Macon Exchange seeks to provide a low cost and low risk opportunity to Middle Georgia artisans while elevating the maker culture in Middle Georgia.”
 
Across the country, retail incubators have helped spur economic development. Business incubators have the goals of creating jobs, enhancing the community’s entrepreneurial climate, retaining businesses in the community, accelerating growth in the local industry, and diversifying the local economy. Entrepreneurship is at an all-time low in the U.S., making retail incubators essential engines for economic growth. According to the Kauffman Foundation and the Brookings Institution, the number of new companies as a share of all U.S. businesses has dropped 44 percent since 1978. The Macon Exchange provides aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to test their products with minimal risk. The ultimate goal of the retail incubator is to enhance the retail experience in the urban core by providing entrepreneurs with the skillset to successfully launch their business and eventually open their own retail spaces.  
 
The Macon Exchange features nineteen emerging brands in Middle Georgia. Products include original art, handmade jewelry, crafts, candles, bath and body products, and apparel. Entrepreneurs featured in the Exchange completed an application and were selected from a pool of 50 applicants. Selected applicants were required to attend workshops focused on building a successful business. Topics included branding, tracking return, writing a business plan, and bookkeeping. The Macon Exchange aligns with NewTown mission of investing in self-sustaining transformation by equipping makers with the skills and network to successfully foster their own business.  

The Macon Exchange is located at 368 Second Street, in the same block as Hargray Capitol Theatre. Visit the Macon Exchange Thursday through Saturday from 2pm to 8pm and on Sundays from 12pm to 4pm.