DescriptionThis study takes an empirical approach to describing the role that personal preferences and beliefs play in a retailer’s location choices particularly when considering an urban market. Rather than assuming that this decision is a process of optimization (Berg, 2014), this study administered a scenario-based questionnaire to both current and potential retailers to see how their market preferences influenced their location choices. Based on a survey of 234 professionals from multiple industries and using several strong control variables, I found that access to public transportation, proximity to restaurants and shops in the surrounding areas, the degree of traffic congestion, and the preferences of multicultural consumers were important factors to retailers considering an urban market for a potential new business location. This study also found a significant relationship between political ideology and the likelihood of a retailer selecting an urban market for his/her new business location. The results from this research will make a number of important contributions to the fields of retailing, entrepreneurship, and economic development.