Audible program opens three Newark storefronts

Audible’s Business Attraction Program has reached a new milestone in Newark after helping open three storefronts this spring, according to a May 19 report by WDHA FM. The radio station said the program has now directed $4.1 million in total investment across more than 30 companies in the city. The openings fit into a broader Audible effort to use grants, subsidized space and mentorship to draw businesses into the downtown area around its headquarters. Newark officials have appeared alongside Audible at ribbon-cuttings tied to that push. ### Which three storefronts are tied to this latest push? The three storefronts most clearly linked to Audible’s current Newark retail expansion are the opening tenants at The Pillars, a retail hub at 33 Washington Street in Newark’s Arts and Education District. Audible said in a September 2025 announcement that the site would open with Tansy, a home goods and plant store; Pooka Pure & Simple, a bath and body brand founded by Dawn Fitch; and Heal Haus, a wellness business. Audible said those tenants would receive financial support for fit-out costs through the Business Attraction Program. Newark’s city government said the businesses would sublease from Audible at subsidized rates and also receive mentorship and networking support through the same program. ### What is the Business Attraction Program supposed to do? (audible.com) Audible launched the Business Attraction Program in August 2023 to help companies expand or relocate to Newark, according to the company’s newsroom. Audible said the program offers grants, relocation or office-cost assistance, and mentorship from company executives. The company has said founders of color and female founders are particularly encouraged to apply. (audible.com) Audible’s urban innovation page says the program is intended to strengthen Newark’s technology, entrepreneurial and small-business ecosystems. The company says the effort is also meant to increase retail and commercial occupancy and boost local spending in the city. ### Where in Newark is Audible concentrating these investments? Newark’s Arts and Education District and the area around Harriet Tubman Square have been central to the program. (audible.com) Audible said earlier that its business-attraction efforts would support leasing opportunities at addresses including 33 Washington Street, 550 Broad Street, 494 Broad Street, 540 Broad Street and 536 Broad Street. (audible.com) The Pillars is one of the most visible pieces of that strategy. Audible said it renovated the 15,000-square-foot ground floor and facade at 33 Washington Street, a building originally designed by architect Welton Becket, into a retail and community hub with listening booths and space for multiple tenants. ### What have Audible and Newark officials said about it? (audible.com) Bob Carrigan, Audible’s chief executive, said The Pillars represented “a new paradigm for corporate investment” in Newark and said the company was trying to build “an ecosystem that sustains entrepreneurship, drives foot traffic, and celebrates community.” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said the project added to the vibrancy of the Arts and Education District and created opportunities for local entrepreneurs. (audible.com) WDHA FM reported that local officials attended ribbon-cuttings for the new storefronts this spring. The station’s report aligns with Newark’s and Audible’s earlier public positioning of the program as a city-centered commercial development effort rather than a one-off retail opening. ### What comes next in this Newark buildout? Audible said in its September 2025 announcement that The Pillars would eventually include a fourth anchor food-and-beverage tenant. (audible.com) The company said that tenant is scheduled to open in 2026. Audible’s impact page says the Business Attraction Program remains one of its core Newark initiatives, alongside community events and other downtown investments. (wdhafm.com) Newark’s business and economic development pages continue to direct companies toward city resources for opening and expanding locally, providing the next formal entry point for additional participants. (audible.com 1) (audible.com 2)