In The News

Dollar Tree tariff mitigation efforts yield results sooner than expected

Published Friday, September 12, 2025

Dollar Tree is thriving after shedding Family Dollar, posting a 12.3% jump in Q2 sales to $4.6 billion and a 6.5% comp increase driven by higher traffic and bigger baskets. The retailer opened 106 new stores, converted 585 locations to its multi-price format, and raised full-year guidance as it attracts value-seeking shoppers across all income levels. With tariffs looming in the second half of the year, Dollar Tree’s expanded pricing assortment and growing appeal to middle- and high-income consumers position it for sustained growth and a sharper competitive edge in discount retail.

Colliers and Placer.ai form a partnership

Published Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Colliers is taking retail foot traffic insights to the next level through its partnership with Placer.ai. The collaboration blends Placer.ai’s powerful analytics with Colliers’ commercial real estate expertise, helping clients understand not just how many shoppers visit stores like Hobby Lobby, Staples, and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet—but also where those visitors come from, where they go next, and how events like farmer’s markets impact ROI. With these deeper layers of insight, Colliers is arming retailers, investors, and developers with data-driven strategies to optimize site selection, marketing, and property performance.

Macy’s posts first sales growth in years, but tariffs cast a shadow

Published Monday, September 8, 2025

Macy’s Inc. is showing signs of a turnaround, even as sales and profits dip. CEO Tony Spring credited stronger staffing, revamped visual merchandising, and localized assortments for driving growth across Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Bluemercury banners. Renovated stores and private-label brands are helping revive customer satisfaction and sales momentum—the company’s first growth in 12 quarters. While tariffs and rising costs pose challenges for the second half of the year, Macy’s renewed focus on retail fundamentals and refreshed assortments has analysts optimistic about its long-term reinvention.

Regional off-pricer Gabe’s under new ownership, avoids bankruptcy

Published Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Regional off-price retailer Gabe’s has successfully completed an out-of-court restructuring and emerged under new ownership, backed by Brigade Capital Management, Arbour Lane Capital Management, and Anchorage Capital Advisors. The restructuring converted more than 75% of outstanding debt into equity, while new capital contributions and vendor partnerships aim to strengthen operations and fuel growth. With about 160 Gabe’s and Old Time Pottery stores across 20 states, the company plans to expand significantly, targeting rural and underserved markets nationwide. Gabe’s leadership, with deep experience from Ross and TJX, continues to leverage strong vendor relationships and loyal customer demand to drive long-term success.

Playboy To Relocate HQ To Miami Beach, Build 'Iconic' New Club

Published Friday, August 29, 2025

Playboy is relocating its global headquarters from Los Angeles to Miami Beach, signing a 20K SF penthouse lease at the newly rebranded Rivani Miami Beach building. The $100M renovation, designed by Rockwell Group, aims to create “Class X” office space with luxury amenities such as a wellness center, Omakase restaurant, speakeasy, and private event venues.

Alongside the headquarters move, Playboy is planning a new hospitality concept in Miami Beach in partnership with a major hospitality brand. The venue will blend luxury dining and a private club experience designed to capture the iconic flair of the original Playboy Mansion.

The relocation comes amid a rebound for Playboy, with licensing revenue up 105% year-over-year and shares rising 10% this week. For the brand, Miami Beach represents both a strategic move to a pro-business hub and a nostalgic return, as the city once hosted a Playboy Club in the 1960s and ’70s.

Texas leading nation in retail real estate construction

Published Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Texas is leading a retail construction boom fueled by strong population growth and business expansion, according to Colliers. Between 2021 and 2025, the state added 0.9% in net domestic migration and now has more than 17 million sq. ft. of retail space under construction, far outpacing the national trend.

Dallas-Fort Worth leads the nation with 7.2 million sq. ft. in the pipeline, while Austin stands out with the highest occupancy rates at 97.1% and strong demand driven by rapid population growth. Houston continues to attract developers with affordable land, steady leasing, and 3.6 million sq. ft. in progress. San Antonio, with occupancy at 96.3%, is experiencing one of its most active construction periods in years.

While retail construction nationwide remains historically low, Texas has become the standout growth market, with nearly one-third of all new first-generation retail space concentrated in the state.

Target and Ulta’s ‘conscious uncoupling’

Published Monday, August 25, 2025

Ulta Beauty and Target are ending their shop-in-shop partnership in August 2026, five years after launch. Both retailers say the split allows them to refocus on retail fundamentals—improving inventory management, tackling shrink, and enhancing customer experience. While Ulta plans to expand exclusive brand partnerships and global growth, Target faces mounting pressure from Walmart and Amazon as it works to strengthen its omnichannel strategy and beauty offerings. Analysts suggest the partnership gave both retailers valuable insights, but the future will now see them competing more directly in the beauty and retail space.

'Temporary' Summer Closures Could Spell Disaster for Miami Dining

Published Friday, August 22, 2025

Miami’s restaurant “slow season” has turned into a wave of closures, with July alone seeing enough shutdowns to fill an entire list. Some spots, like Byblos, Gibson Room, and La Mar, promise comebacks after renovations or relocations. Others, including Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat, Sereia, and Torno Subito, have hit pause with no firm reopening date, while favorites like Ensenada have quietly closed for good. Michelin-starred Itamae AO and James Beard Award-winning Maty’s are also in limbo, their futures uncertain. In Miami dining, “closed for the season” can mean a smart strategy—or the beginning of a final farewell.

Recent News

U.S. Retail Supply Is Tightening, But Few Developers Plan To Build New Product

Only 64.2 million square feet of new retail space was under construction nationwide during the first quarter of 2026, a decline of roughly 8% from 70 million square feet in Q1 2025 and well below the 10-year average of 90 million square feet, according to CoStar Group data. The pullback in construction reflects a difficult development environment as sharp rises in land prices, construction costs, and interest rates over recent years have pushed required rents well above prevailing market levels for many retail formats. Beyond cost pressures, developers remain cautious following years of heightened supply risk awareness, while competition for sites from higher-density residential, industrial, and mixed-use projects further constrains retail development opportunities, particularly in infill locations. Despite tight construction pipelines, retail transaction volume reached $15.3 billion in Q1 2026, up 5% year-over-year, with national vacancy at 4.4% and institutional investors expanding allocations to the sector as retailers favor measured, capital-disciplined expansion strategies.

The TikTok effect: How viral trends are changing visual merchandising

The average viral trend on TikTok lasts just five to 10 days before attention shifts, and with 42% of Gen Z consumers in the U.S. discovering new products on TikTok, brands need to move much faster than the traditional six to 24 month product-to-shelf timeline. TikTok has become a powerful launchpad for products with over 1.04 billion active monthly users, putting retail cycles into overdrive as brands capitalize on the platform's ability to spark viral moments and drive high demand. Examples include chef influencer Tineke Younger's viral mac and cheese recipe leading to a Nestlé Carnation collaboration for limited-edition Kickin' Jalapeño Flavored Evaporated Milk, and the infamous "Labubu" dolls generating 1.4 million-plus TikTok posts leading to chaotic scenes in UK stores. Gen Z-focused brands like Halara, Edikted, and Cider are testing physical retail through pop-up stores to create immersive brand experiences and translate TikTok buzz into real-world engagement using temporary store formats with flexible fixture setups and trend-responsive visuals.

Consumer sentiment falls to record low as gas prices, inflation worries rise

The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment fell 10% in May 2026 to 44.8, marking the third consecutive monthly decline and dropping just below the previous historical low seen in June 2022, as supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continued to lift gasoline prices. The Current Conditions Index plunged 12.8% to 45.8 and is down 22% year-over-year, while the Index of Consumer Expectations declined 8.3% to 44.1, with consumers anticipating business conditions will worsen over both short and long time horizons. Nearly 40% of consumers offered unsolicited comments about gas prices during interviews, up from 33% the previous month, with lower-income consumers and those without college degrees posting particularly strong declines as these groups are more sensitive to increases in gas costs, which have risen sharply by more than 50% since the start of the Iran conflict. Consumers expect prices to rise 4.8% over the next year, up from 4.7% in April, with longer-term inflation expectations also climbing sharply, raising concerns that inflation will spread beyond fuel prices even in the long run