When I talk to out-of-staters about Texas, they often think I mean “Dallas” when discussing the Metroplex as a whole. That’s when I explain how important the Fort Worth market is to our thriving and healthy Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) retail scene. Weitzman, which operates offices in Texas’ major markets, has handled development, leasing and management in the Fort Worth market since our founding 30 years ago. Today, the Fort Worth area is home to some of the state’s most robust residential, commercial and cultural growth. In terms of retail, our …
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The modern craft beer brewery has emerged as a niche community anchor with flexible business models and loyal customer bases across the United States, particularly in the Northeast. Combining elements of retail, industrial and hospitality models, craft breweries have quickly become one of the most dynamic and trendy business types in major cities and small towns, alike. Some of the largest and most popular craft breweries in the United States are based in the Northeast, including the two largest: Pennsylvania-based D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc.; and Boston Beer Co., the …
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) is paving the way for emerging and digital brands’ entrance into physical spaces — particularly re-envisioned common areas of retail spaces. Through the company’s innovative approach toward holiday markets, URW brings new and exciting opportunities for digital brands to its centers. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Amy Alyeshmerni, vice president of asset strategy and innovation – business development/brand ventures, recently looked back at how her mindset evolved as she began working closely with URW’s Digital Incubation programs. She shared her insights during a panel at …
Creativity is the name of the game when it comes to designing and selling sponsorships and experiences at America’s shopping malls. That was the subject of a panel discussion, “Sponsorship and Experiential Marketing Trends,” at the InterFace Conference Group’s Ancillary Retail Expo 2020, held Feb. 3 and 4 at the New Orleans Marriott. Panelists detailed how sponsorships can bring added revenue to retail centers both large and small, and the best ways to do so in today’s retail world. Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group is a division of France Media …
Three Mistakes Developers Make When Seeking Approvals to Build Shopping Centers, Commercial Properties
Do you think you’ve got your permits in the bag? Think again. There are three mistakes developers make when seeking approvals to build shopping centers and other commercial properties. The Three Biggies are: Trusting the decision makers’ promises: Decision makers can cave in the face of opposition, despite their promises and their desire for the benefits your retail complex provides. But opponents’ presence and vocal disapproval will spook even your most ardent allies. Solution: Give decision makers Political Courage by connecting them to supporters, i.e. positive community partners, former elected …
New Orleans — As legacy retailers continue closing stores and mall and mixed-use developers face the prospect — and reality — of vacant store spaces, specialty leasing and business development teams are becoming more important. The millennial consumer, who can buy almost anything online, needs a good reason to visit a property. Malls and shopping centers that will thrive in this climate will deliver exceptional ancillary retail experiences and come up with new reasons to attract visitors. “Ancillary” can mean pop-up stores, sponsorships, events or any other revenue sources outside …
Retailers, Landlords Face Complications of Factoring Online Returns Into Gross Sales
With the rise of e-commerce, declining foot traffic in malls and shuttering department stores, retail landlords and brick-and-mortar tenants have faced a wave of challenges in recent years. As a result, both landlords and tenants are constantly searching for new and unique ways to improve their bottom-line figures. One recent area where this has become an issue concerns in-person returns from online sales, and how they affect a retail tenant’s percentage rent calculation. Many retail leases contain a percentage rent provision in which a tenant pays a portion of its …
As retailers rise and fall in the age of Amazon, property taxes remain one of retailers’ largest operating expenses. That makes it critical to monitor assessments of retail properties and be ready to contest unfairly high taxable valuations. Assessors — and property owners attempting to educate those assessors — must understand how the changes taking place in the retail sector affect property value. Assessors must adjust their models to reflect new market realities, and property owners or their representatives must be able to explain why previously held valuation assumptions could …
Business and friendship grow stronger when we support industry education, collaboration, networking and connection. — By Deborah Kravitz — The second year of the Ancillary Retail Expo conference is approaching, coming soon to New Orleans. Aside from eating beignets and drinking your way down Bourbon Street, you may wonder why you should attend — and support — this new conference. When I entered specialty leasing/business development more than 30 years ago from a career in retail management and buying, I was stunned by how welcoming my colleagues were on every …
Much has been made about online retail — and rightly so — with Amazon now an integral part of everyday life in the United States. But e-commerce’s growth doesn’t mean brick-and-mortar retail is dead. Brick-and-mortar outlets can be viable and profitable, even as retail bankruptcies and store closings increase. Real estate professionals should battle the misconceptions behind retail in 2020 and beyond while keeping an eye on where the next generation of retail is headed. The mall of 1975 is no longer. But could these retailers reemerge in hotel lobbies, …