From The Magazine

What a difference a year makes. Around this time in 2019, the Philadelphia retail market was experiencing something of a Renaissance. Driven by forward-thinking projects in chic neighborhoods, such as Fashion District Philadelphia, as well as the delivery of new phases of retail at destinations like Schuylkill Yards and the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the market was embracing new users, customers and spaces alike. The evolution of Philly’s retail market at this time inevitably bred winners and losers. Six months later, the onset of a global pandemic would give rise to …

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It’s been an atypical summer for retailers and shopping center owners in the Sunshine State. There are no Hollywood blockbusters debuting in Florida’s movie theaters, bars remain closed for the time being and shops and restaurants aren’t packed with domestic and international tourists visiting Disney World, Port of Miami’s cruise terminals or any of the states numerous beaches at the level they would in a normal season. The outbreak of COVID-19 has redefined the consumer experience for retail the past several months, but even though it looks and feels different, …

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Envisioning a future for retail post-COVID has been a challenge for many in the industry. For one, it is still very early and we have a hard time knowing what 2021 will look like. Most of what retail designers and architects are working on now is reactionary and necessary: setting up existing environments so that retail-facing businesses are functional and operational. In that practice, however, they are seeing clues as to what the future of retail might look like now that the world is weary of viruses. Here are their …

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During the business lull caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, fast casual sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s made news by rolling out a $150 million nationwide retrofit project for its stores. The project will include aesthetic and comfortability upgrades for 1,700 franchise stores, as well as expanded functionality for delivery and pick-up services — all paid for by the company. “Paying for the retrofits ourselves is a tactical move on our part,” says Peter Cancro, CEO of Jersey Mike’s. “Whenever you put money in your business, it always comes back. It’s …

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In the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, retail was an almost immediate victim as governors and mayors across the country issued stay-at-home/shelter-in-place directives, forcing many retailers to close their stores for a time and some eventually made the difficult to decision to furlough or layoff their employees. For the first time in history, all 50 states were simultaneously under a federal disaster declaration and 38.5 million jobless claims have been filed in two months, another historic figure. After the initial shock of stores and restaurants closing temporarily or pivoting …

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Shlomo Chopp doesn’t mind stepping out of the box and being told his ideas won’t work, or even being slightly outcast as the “village idiot.” He is fine with the naysayers because he knows when he has an idea worth pursuing and one that has the potential to change the way e-retailers grow a physical location. That’s what Chopp has in Anchor Shops, a proposed location within Fashion District Philadelphia where companies can start a physical location without the start-up costs of diving headfirst into a brick-and-mortar. Chopp brought on …

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In Salem, New Hampshire, work is underway to construct Tuscan Village, a 2.8 million-square-foot mixed-use project anticipated to meet the growing demands of the area.  The center, located on a 170-acre site about 30 miles north of Boston, just over the state line, has grown in recent years as the Boston market steadily expands northward. While the corridor along Interstate 95 has steadily developed, the corridor northward along Interstate 495 has been relatively underdeveloped, as has the area along Interstate 93. Just to the north of the juncture of I-93 …

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Grocery stores are the bellwether for retail health in the top markets of North Carolina and South Carolina. They are a reflection of job and population growth and are often a catalyst for future retail opportunities, anchoring both new shopping centers and mixed-use projects throughout the two-state region. The Carolinas are battle tested when it comes to the grocery segment, with several local and regional players headquartered in the area and actively leasing space. It came as a blow, then, when homegrown specialty grocer Earth Fare decided to close its …

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Howard Samuels knows a thing or two about new concepts. For more than 30 years, he has represented retailers, entertainment concepts and restaurants seeking to find space in traditional retail environments. As president of Samuels & Company, he’s navigated deals with many of the nation’s largest landlords and introduced many new concepts to retail environments. SCB recently interviewed Samuels to get a take on what new concepts need to make a deal, and the disconnect between landlords and this new breed of tenant. SCB: Do you feel that retail landlords …

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It’s a Millennial world; we’re just living in it. Though this might sound defeatist, the Harris Poll would probably tell you this information is quite useful. After all, we’re also living in a data-driven world. With that in mind, Harris Poll cites that Millennials make up two-thirds of the working population, with 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring every day. A recent survey by the market research firm also notes that 75 percent of Millennials would rather purchase an experience than fungible goods, or an item that can easily be replaced or …

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