From The Magazine

With development costs high, developers are turning to mixed-use projects to maximize land while offering consumers a more rounded experience. As 7 a.m. rolls around, the elevator doors open to the smell of fresh espresso drifting up from the downstairs café. By noon, the outside plaza is alive with office workers grabbing lunch, parents pushing strollers and residents walking their dogs past storefront windows. In the evening, string lights flicker above the courtyard as neighbors gather for dinner just steps from their home. This is not a weekend destination or …

Residents are flocking to the Carolinas, and retailers and developers are overcoming obstacles to address the growing demand. North Carolina and South Carolina are throwing their hats into the ring as two of the fastest growing states in the nation. At 1.5 percent, South Carolina had the highest population growth rate in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Similarly, North Carolina attracted 84,000 residents from other states last year, making the Tarheel State the No. 1 state for domestic migration.  North Carolina was also the third-fastest growing state in …

Why landlords are turning to light-infrastructure food concepts to fill retail dead zones. Landlords and shopping center owners are facing a familiar problem. Many retail properties have space that gets foot traffic but doesn’t work for traditional restaurants. Old kiosks, narrow inline units, corridors and spaces that cannot support full restaurant infrastructure are hard to lease. Too often, these spaces sit empty. At the same time, many food operators want to expand but can’t justify the cost, time or risk of a full restaurant buildout. Rents are high. Construction takes …

Some things about entertainment never change.  “Customers want variety, value and a reason to return,” says T.J. Schier, CEO and founder of indoor golf driving range experience Smash Swing.  What has changed is how difficult it is to deliver all three at once. Get the balance wrong, and sales, reputation and loyalty suffer. Get it right, and the concept may not just survive this high-cost, high-stakes atmosphere, but cement itself as a true destination. One landlords clamor for.  Variety: From Single-Attraction to Social Destination In today’s day and age, Schier believes …

A new owner is leading to a new era of experience-led retail in Seattle. Located at 6th Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle, Pacific Place has been a cornerstone of the city’s retail landscape for more than a quarter century.  Originally developed by Pine Street Group LLC and designed by architectural firm NBBJ, the center’s 335,000 square feet of retail space was designed to wrap around a crescent-shaped atrium topped with a skylight. Opened in October 1998, the five-story shopping and entertainment center redefined urban retail in the Pacific …

The younger generation is entering the workforce and influencing retailers. Here is how they are changing retail. In the digital age, nearly everything is accessible online — entertainment, shopping, friendship, you name it. With a few taps on a screen, we can order three pairs of jeans, have a pizza delivered, and carry on a meaningful conversation without ever leaving the couch. Considering that Generation Z — those born roughly between 1996 and 2013 — has grown up immersed in this digital reality, it would be easy to assume they …

One of the nation’s consistently healthy retail markets is seeing a selective approach to growth. Retail real estate across the Mid-Atlantic is having a moment — but it’s a disciplined one. As fundamentals remain healthy in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., the region is seeing a notably more selective approach to retail growth. Years of limited new development, zoning constraints and rising construction costs have tightened supply, pushing owners, investors and municipalities to be far more intentional about what gets built — and where. Sources interviewed for this article point to …

After a few years of malaise, the forecast for single-tenant net lease retail properties is on the upswing for 2026.  Activity in the single-tenant net lease (STNL) retail sector is ramping up after several years of a sluggish market. While lower interest rates may be paving the way for good times ahead, the market is seeing increased activity in the meantime from buyers and sellers seeing eye-to-eye for the first time in a while. That resulted in many investment sales firms posting a strong performance in 2025, with 2026 looking …

mcg’s Page Winkler looks at retail design through an experienced lens. Here, he gives insight into shopping center design and function for the next era. Interview by Randall Shearin  In today’s evolving retail landscape, adaptability and experience are redefining the way shopping centers are designed and operated. Shopping Center Business recently spoke with Page Winkler, president of mcg architecture, to explore how design strategies are responding to shifting consumer behaviors, the rise of mixed-use projects, and the growing demand for flexible, multifunctional retail spaces.  SCB: What types of projects are …

With the brick-and-mortar retail revitalization in full swing, it’s crucial to have flexible, innovative store formats to succeed on the big stage. “If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.” Martin Scorsese, Frank Sinatra and Jay-Z probably weren’t thinking about brick-and-mortar retail real estate when they penned and recorded the iconic song lyric, but that doesn’t make the expression any less applicable to that particular subject.  The notion of merchandisers, restaurateurs and entertainment operators needing a certain and precise combination of savvy, moxie and pizzazz …