Mayor Mary Sheffield has appointed former Bedrock executive Addofio Addo as Detroit’s first Director of Retail Attraction, filling the new position she announced earlier this year which is designed to expand retail investment across the city’s neighborhoods. As director, Addo will also be charged with helping to strengthen commercial corridors by attracting national brands alongside locally owned businesses.
Addo officially began the role Monday, July 13, taking on the responsibility of leading the city’s retail attraction strategy while working to market Detroit as a destination for retailers seeking opportunities for expansion. His appointment comes as the Sheffield administration continues to prioritize neighborhood economic development, commercial corridor revitalization and increased access to shopping options for Detroit residents.
In his former role as Director of Business Development for Arts, Culture, and Business Attraction at Bedrock, Addo helped woo major retailers to the downtown Woodward corridor, including Gucci, Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty, Timberland, Apple, and others.
He also led Bedrock’s charge to bring the internationally renowned AfroFuture and AfroNation festivals to Detroit – attracting more than 100,000 attendees during the festivals’ three-year run – as well as the Global Citizen NOW summit in 2025.
The new position reflects the administration’s broader effort to encourage businesses to invest throughout Detroit, particularly in neighborhood business districts where residents have long expressed a desire for more retail choices and grocery options.
“Detroiters spend upwards of $3 billion each year in surrounding communities, where they can find the retail selection and brands they want and deserve,” Sheffield said in announcing the appointment. “Addofio’s job will be to bring quality businesses and brands to our neighborhood commercial corridors, so Detroiters can shop closer to home and spend their money to support Detroit-based businesses. Addofio understands Detroiters and what they want, our neighborhoods, and most important, has a track record of delivering in Detroit.”
As Director of Retail Attraction, Addo will focus on recruiting national and regional retailers while also supporting the growth of homegrown businesses. His responsibilities will include promoting Detroit’s commercial districts to prospective retailers, coordinating retail recruitment efforts, and helping shape a long-term strategy to expand shopping opportunities throughout the city.
City officials said the position was created to help tell Detroit’s story to retailers looking for growth opportunities while highlighting the city’s consumer market, neighborhood His and ongoing development.
His experience in helping showcase Detroit as a destination for arts, culture, and retail, city officials said, demonstrated his ability to connect major brands and organizations with Detroit through community engagement and strategic partnerships.
In his new role, Addo will also work closely with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the city’s economic development partner, to strengthen business recruitment efforts and identify solutions that support retail growth across Detroit.
The partnership is expected to combine neighborhood-level data, retailer feedback, and small business engagement to better understand market conditions and address challenges that businesses may encounter when considering Detroit locations.
Sean Gray, senior vice president of Small Business Services at DEGC, said the organization welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with Addo as Detroit works to expand retail investment.
“We look forward to working closely with Addofio to accomplish the mayor’s goal to bring more retail to our neighborhoods,” Gray said. “We see this new capacity at the City to be a perfect complement to our work at DEGC. Vibrant neighborhoods need strong small businesses and diverse retail options. We all benefit when we focus on building strategic partnerships and presenting Detroit as an attractive, high-growth market for expansion.”
In addition to attracting retail brands, Addo will play a role in working with existing businesses and identifying opportunities to support local entrepreneurs alongside incoming retailers.
The administration said those efforts are intended to improve access to shopping options while encouraging additional investment in Detroit neighborhoods.
Sheffield emphasized that expanding retail is connected to broader economic goals, including job creation and improving quality of life for residents.
“We know that neighborhood businesses hire a large percentage of their employees from the same neighborhoods they serve, so beyond retail, this is about workforce, quality of life and improving the economic mobility of Detroiters,” the mayor said.
For many Detroit neighborhoods, retail recruitment extends beyond attracting storefronts. City officials say additional shopping options can help increase convenience for residents while supporting local employment and encouraging residents to spend more of their dollars within the city.
Addo said he approaches retail attraction through storytelling and community identity, believing that successful business recruitment begins with helping companies understand Detroit’s character and potential.
“Retail decisions don’t start in a spreadsheet,” Addo said. “They start with a feeling. Somebody walks a block, watches who’s out, and decides whether they can see themselves there. My job is to make sure that when the world walks Detroit, it sees what Detroiters have seen all along.”
A Michigan Chronicle 40 Under 40 honoree, Addo said his previous experience with Capitol Records and DIRECTV helped shape his perspective on connecting brands with communities through authentic storytelling and cultural engagement.
He said that philosophy will continue to guide his work in City Hall as he builds relationships with prospective retailers and business leaders.
“Detroit has never needed to be sold. It deserves to be seen,” Addo said. “My job is to make sure the businesses deciding where to grow next see what this city has known all along, and that when they arrive, they arrive as good neighbors. If culture is how you build, Detroit belongs on your map. I’m grateful to Mayor Sheffield for the trust, and I intend to earn it.”
The appointment marks one of the first major economic development announcements of Sheffield’s administration and signals an emphasis on expanding retail opportunities across Detroit’s neighborhoods.
Moving forward, Addo will begin outreach to national and regional retailers while working alongside city departments, DEGC, and community stakeholders to identify opportunities for investment in neighborhood commercial corridors. His work will also include engaging businesses to better understand their site selection needs, promoting Detroit’s market opportunities, and developing initiatives designed to encourage long-term retail growth.
City officials say the measure of what success looks like will be measured beyond just the number of storefronts, but also by creating stronger neighborhood business districts that provide residents with greater access to shopping, services, and employment opportunities while supporting Detroit’s broader economic development goals.
