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Coffee has become an increasingly active segment of retail real estate, driven by national brands continuing to expand and a business model built around one of the most consistent consumer behaviors: routine. For developers and landlords, that growth means continued demand for well-positioned sites. For investors, it is creating a pipeline of coffee-occupied properties that can combine quality real estate, established operators and long-term contractual cash flow. What connects the two is important. Many of the fundamentals that make a location attractive to a coffee operator at the beginning of …

Abilene, Texas — Laundry Luv is more than doubling the size of its location at 3202 N. First St. in Abilene, Texas, expanding from 6,240 square feet to a total footprint of 14,405 square feet. For Laundry Luv, however, the expansion is about more than adding square footage. It is an opportunity to create a larger, more welcoming space for customers while expanding the company’s ability to serve and engage with the Abilene community. Laundry Luv has built its business around the idea that a laundromat can serve as a neighborhood …

For years, fitness clubs were often viewed as secondary tenants in the commercial real estate world. They required significant parking, occupied large footprints and lacked the perceived prestige of traditional anchors. But fitness operators have always delivered something valuable: frequent, reliable visits to a property. What’s changed is the perspective, not the role — landlords and developers now recognize that value as a competitive advantage. As traditional retailers have consolidated, downsized or disappeared altogether, shopping center owners have been driven to reconsider what makes an effective anchor. At the same …

When Juanita Huber-Millet opened the first Townhouse salon in London in 2018, she saw an opportunity to bring a consistent, premium experience to a globally fragmented nail salon industry. Today, her vision combines elevated design and customer service with a technology optimized footprint and streamlined operating model built for multi-unit franchise expansion. “I wanted Townhouse to feel different from the very beginning. For me, it was about looking at every detail of the experience and asking how we could do it better. Our clients expect a premium experience at every …

There’s an interesting phenomenon happening in the retail real estate market. While retail fundamentals remain strong — consumers are spending, retailers are expanding and occupancy is at a near historic high in many markets — developers are building very little new retail space. The disconnect is not lack of demand. It is the cost of delivering new product. In the last several years, the economics of ground-up retail development have changed dramatically. The result is a market with strong demand, limited new supply and increasingly aggressive competition for quality space. …

Ten years ago, before pickleball became America’s fastest-growing sport, Chicken N Pickle was built around a much bigger idea than a game. We believed people were craving something that had become increasingly difficult to find: authentic, face-to-face connection. Our vision wasn’t simply to build a restaurant or an entertainment venue. It was to create a place where families, friends, coworkers and neighbors could gather, celebrate and build relationships. Pickleball happened to be the catalyst — but human connection was always the purpose. Today, that vision has grown from a single …

As World Cup excitement continued to build across the globe, retail and mixed-use destinations prepared for more than just an added boost to their revenue. They used the tournament as a placemaking opportunity, turning open-air centers into fan hubs designed to bring people together, drive tenant traffic and give visitors new reasons to move throughout a property before, during and after matches. That strategy took shape at Atlantic Village in Hallandale Beach, Florida, which kicked off its monthlong World Cup celebration with a watch party featuring a kids’ soccer clinic, …

As retail continues to evolve, shopping centers continue to be community hubs that foster connection, engagement, and local impact. Second Horizon Capital’s 250 Acts of Community initiative is one example of how retail properties are turning that commitment into action. Inspired by America250, the portfolio-wide initiative encourages acts of service, appreciation, and community engagement across Second Horizon Capital’s seven shopping centers nationwide. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the initiative provides a way for shopping centers to celebrate by investing in the communities they serve. From honoring military families …