[opportune]

Mixed use zoning is good for specialty retail like niche/designer clothing. Also even for things like groceries people (like me) will be willing to pay a slight premium for being able to get those goods from a short walking distance.

[analog31]

Ah, but the more niche it is, the more likely they depend on car traffic to bring their customers in.

I'm fortunate to live within walking distance of a supermarket. It's nice to get fresh produce and things that we run out of or need on a whim. A little Ace Hardware store serves in a similar way. It seems like the fairly sizable population of retirees in the nearby apartments provide these stores with a lot of business.

I don't expect those stores to have everything, but they really reduce the number of car trips that I make.