Retail Insight

Corey Bialow, CEO of Bialow Real Estate, is extremely optimistic about this next phase of retail. As a tenant representative, he has seen this sentiment shared throughout industry events like RECon, and among his clients. There are plenty of tenants looking for shopping center space, Bialow contends — ­though there is a caveat. These tenants are looking for high-quality, welcoming spaces in today’s top centers. This places the onus on landlords to ensure their spaces remain competitive with the rest of the market. Having worked with digitally native brands for quite …

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Davon Barbour, vice president of economic development and planning for the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, is closely following the buying habits of Millennials. He knows many of those dollars are invested in food and beverage, particularly when it comes to Millennials who live and work in downtown settings. With that in mind, Barbour and his team are focused on attracting new entries into the market, as well as expanding current offerings, such as Blackwall Hitch, which is set to open its fourth location in the area. Yard 56, a Prudential-backed …

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It used to be enough for a shopping center to house the lead grocer in a trade area, or at least the closest grocer for the majority of residents. Not so anymore, thanks to the internet and increased competition from additional shopping centers and grocer entries. That’s why Bob Myers, COO of Phillips Edison & Company, believes landlords and tenants need to do more to differentiate. That starts with emphasizing their value add. Amenities like Kroger Fuel, resources like dedicated parking and apps that provide buy online, pick up in …

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Sandy Sigal, president and CEO of NewMark Merrill, may have built his company in the physical world of real estate, but he’s keenly aware the lines between online and brick and mortar are blurring. In fact, he asserts that the line is often non-existent for the consumer nowadays. That’s because technology has armed shoppers with the ability to shop how, when and where they choose. Retail companies planning to be around for the long haul are doing the same by investing in their non-core counterpart to ensure the physical and …

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  It’s been a rollercoaster ride for retail, but Rick Chichester, president and CEO of Faris Lee, believes it’s smooth sailing ahead through at least the remainder of 2019, if not longer. This sense of security is largely due to the Fed’s decision to hold interest rates steady after the market reacted negatively to the four increases in 2018. This clarity has also brought renewed optimism and elevated consumer confidence to the market, something Chichester wouldn’t have predicted as little as five months ago. All of this information has given …

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Diversification is a solid investment strategy in any market — and is perhaps more important than ever in today’s market. At least when it comes to the physical retail environment. Simon Hartzell, director of new offices for NAI Global, knows this to be true, which is why he has internalized this strategy. NAI Global maintains a macro presence but is focused on the micro-economies. The company is looking to grow its presence in often-overlooked secondary and tertiary markets where brokers and clients can maintain a competitive advantage. Hartzell also sees …

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Retail vacancies are not a good thing — unless you’re in the middle of a retail renaissance with a number of forward-thinking tenants ready to take that space. So says Scott Holmes, national director of retail for Marcus & Millichap, who sees opportunities in these empty spaces today. First, there are the familiar tenants that are expanding. These include junior anchors like TJ Maxx, Ross and Burlington. Then, there are the newly emerging tenants, including the previously online-only concepts that are expanding into brick-and-mortar. Holmes has tracked 850 digitally native …

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Jimmy Slusher, vice president of National Retail Partners – West at CBRE, acknowledges transaction volume is down compared to previous quarters, but this is not a trend he expects will continue. Slusher witnessed a barrage of activity at ICSC RECon, which supports his prediction that transaction volume will escalate in the second half of 2019. That’s because many investors are eager to deploy capital if they can find good-quality, grocery-anchored shopping centers, which are in demand at the moment. This level of interest has caused cap rates to continue to …

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The City of Moreno Valley, just east of Riverside, Calif., in Southern California’s Inland Empire submarket, has been growing rapidly and will continue to do so. Moreno Valley’s population has consistently grown by 5 percent every year, according to Melissa McClain, the city’s management assistant of economic development. There are more than 7,000 single-family and multifamily homes in the current pipeline — and those residents will soon be seeking out additional retail options. A few of the city’s premier shopping centers have changed hands recently, allowing these properties to undergo …

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LAS VEGAS — These are the best of times and worst of times for the shopping center industry. Rapid technological change is enabling retailers and property owners to be more creative in their spaces than ever before. Think augmented reality and ominichannel marketing. At the same time, the e-commerce model has proven to be quite disruptive for many brick-and-mortar retailers who are struggling to adapt. The spate of retail store closures continues. But retail is a living organism that inevitably evolves, adapts, and yes, thrives more often than not. Against …

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