Highway 99 provides easy access to Merced for shoppers from Chowchilla to Livingston. Residents of Mariposa and Los Banos also depend on Merced for many retail and service needs.

Within a five mile radius are over 83,000 people. Within ten miles, the population is over 130,000 – and the market region is over 250,000.

The market is rated "above average" in the California Retail Survey, and is growing rapidly. This is demonstrated by the addition of over 1 million square feet of retail in the past six years. During this time, new entrants include Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Orchard Supply, Home Depot, Toys R Us, Circuit City, Marie Callenders, Staples, Office Max, and many others. Merced's per capita retail sales now exceed the neighboring markets in Fresno and Modesto.