To say that the restaurant industry is sending mixed signals could be the understatement of the year. The National Restaurant Association expected restaurant sales in 2024 to top $1 trillion for the first time ever. But as the year has progressed, the number of operators who anticipated sales growth in the coming months dipped to 28 percent in August from 40 percent in April amid inflation and economic uncertainty, according to the organization’s latest performance index survey. At the same time, the fortunes of the major restaurant segments are largely …
Malls
NewMark Merrill: Harness Retail Data to Improve Customer Experience, Streamline Operations
Sandy Sigal argues that the evolving fields of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are a perfect fit for retail. “We generate the most relevant data on an everyday basis, and that data affects the outcomes and success of our centers,” explains Sigal. In a discussion on the pivotal role of technology in the retail sector, Sigal emphasizes that understanding customer behavior is paramount for shopping center owners. By leveraging technology to track customer movement and sentiment — where they come from, how long they stay, how they feel about …
NewMark Merrill: AI, Automation Will Benefit In-Person Retail
Automation is not only here to stay — it’s here to make the tasks of owning, operating, marketing and leasing a shopping center easier. That is the view of Sandy Sigal, chairman, CEO and president of Calabasas, Calif.-based NewMark Merrill Companies. “I see automation as a net positive,” he explains. “The efficiency level inside shopping centers is going to go way up. Customer satisfaction levels are going to go way up too.” Sigal envisions a future where personalization, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), transforms the shopping experience, offering tailored recommendations and …
Sandy Sigal believes in a holistic approach to the properties he’s acquired. He pairs tech-savvy data gathering to understand trends and opportunities with a focus on creating shopping experiences consumers crave and connection with their communities. This strategy is essential to making NewMark Merrill’s projects into successes, including the company’s latest California projects: the Rialto Village shopping center in the Inland Empire, which just completed preleasing, and the Corbin & Parthenia shopping center in the San Fernando Valley area, which is slated for renovations. Knowing your customers allows you to account for their retail needs and desires …
City of Glendale: Support for New Business Bolstered by Streamlining
Glendale, California is home to some of Southern California’s most popular destinations and its draw for merchants, residents and visitors is undeniable. Brookfield’s Glendale Galleria and Caruso’s The Americana at Brand are two of the top shopping centers in California, iconic locations for major retailers. What can Glendale offer to make itself even more attractive for a wider range of businesses? The city is focused on streamlining permitting systems and offering a concierge service to ensure promptness, according to Bradley Calvert, director of community development for the City of Glendale. “Typically we assign a …
Glendale California Retail Hub Pulls in Merchants, Customers
Less than 10 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles is Glendale, Calif., a city with nearly 200,000 residents and an enviable location if you’re a retailer. “Within a 10-mile radius, we have access to more than 2.5 million people,” says Soua Vang, deputy director of economic development for the City of Glendale. “We are strategically located within the LA marketplace, just minutes away from some of Southern California’s most popular destinations.” If you’re a visitor, those popular destinations may include the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Walk of Fame or Universal Studios. …
Margaret Caldwell, managing director and senior vice president at Northmarq in Atlanta, thinks this is a great time to be a retail owner. The only problem? Sellers do too. “The biggest challenge is the small supply of retail in this market,” she says. “Sellers are very hesitant to sell, even though the ones who are selling are experiencing great results and achieving their pricing.” Caldwell notes that in the Southeast there has been a slight change in pricing of around 50 basis points over the past year or so. However, …
Communication Is Key to Success in Today’s Retail Environment, Complementing Data Analysis, Localized Approaches
Sandy Sigal, president and CEO of NewMark Merrill in Calabasas, Calif., thinks it’s about time we update the real estate adage, “If you build it, they will come.” In a market grappling with online shopping, inflation, high interest rates and more, Sigal believes the real advice today is, “If you communicate, they will come.” This sort of high-level communication shouldn’t just apply to the public but also to a retail landlord’s merchants and company employees. An elevated approach to sharing information means a wealth of accessible data to help NewMark …
DJM, PGIM Receive Approval for Mixed-Use Project at Bella Terra Shopping Center in Metro Los Angeles
Huntington Beach, Calif. — A partnership between DJM and PGIM has received approval for a mixed-use redevelopment project at Bella Terra, an 852,000-square-foot retail property located roughly 35 miles outside Los Angeles in Huntington Beach. Plans for the project, now approved by the Huntington Beach City Council, include the demolition of a 149,000-square-foot Burlington Coat Factory-occupied building and an adjacent 33,000-square-foot building. The partnership will replace the existing buildings with a low-rise structure featuring 25,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space and five stories of residential space, comprising …
Logansport, Ind. — Park Development has unveiled plans to redevelop the vacant Logansport Mall in central Indiana into an open-air retail center named The Junction. Built in 1968, the mall has sat largely vacant for the past decade. Design plans by GEA Architects call for nearly 160,000 square feet of retail space along with three outlots. The Junction is shadow anchored by a Walmart Supercenter and Home Depot. Existing tenants Dollar Tree and Dunham’s Sports will also remain. Planet Fitness opened a new location last spring, Harbor Freight Tools is …