Robert Locke
Title: Associate

Contact:
Phone: 561-289-7173

Robert Locke joined Atlantic Commercial Group in October of 2011.

Prior to joining ACG he spent 10 years as an active real estate broker in Florida with Synergy Real Estate Partners. His principal responsibilities at Synergy were retail and office leasing, representing both tenants and landlords. He worked to identify office buildings and shopping centers for sale or lease, warehouse and office space to purchase or lease, as well as other acquisition properties for clients.

Prior to joining Synergy, he was a Senior Vice President of Pueblo International Inc., a privately held food retailer with sales of $1.2 billion and in a private real estate consulting practice. While he was at Pueblo the company operated 53 Retail Supermarkets in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgins Islands and 22 Blockbuster stores inPuerto Rico.

His responsibilities at Pueblo included management and P&L responsibly for the company’s one million plus square foot Real Estate portfolio; site selection, development of new shopping centers, major and small tenant leasing and maintenance and construction. He was also instrumental in obtaining the Blockbuster franchise for Pueblo and opening all of the Blockbuster stores for the company.

Bob received his Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Hofstra Universityin Industrial Administration, his Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from Polytechnic Institute and attended the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business.

Recent News

What to watch in retail in 2026

Retail industry trends for 2026 include continued AI adoption for product research and customer service, value-seeking consumers driving traffic to discount retailers, and shopping malls experiencing a rebound with renewed investment in mixed-use projects. Mall foot traffic increased in 2025, with indoor malls seeing a 1.8% rise in visits and visit durations up 3.3% compared to the first half of 2024, as traditional retail shopping centers transform into destinations for entertainment and experiences. Industry executives remain optimistic, with 96% expecting revenue growth and 81% anticipating margin expansion in 2026, despite challenges including weakened consumer buying power, high interest rates, and competition from mass merchants and value retailers. Specialty retailers face particular vulnerability in 2026 as high interest rates, shifts toward online shopping, and aggressive competition from mass merchants are predicted to push overleveraged companies into bankruptcy.

Bain & Co.: U.S. retail sales to grow 3.5% in 2026

U.S. retail sales are projected to grow 3.5% year-over-year in 2026 to reach $5.3 trillion, slightly down from estimated 4.0% growth in 2025, according to Bain & Company's 2026 Global Retail Sales Outlook. Volume growth will remain modest with inflation projected between 2.6% and 3.0%, as mounting consumer strain and declining confidence affect spending amid economic uncertainty, rising unemployment, and slowing labor supply growth. Bain's Consumer Health Index found that sentiment among higher-income U.S. households, who account for more than half of retail spending, declined in January 2026. The report notes that shoppers increasingly gravitating toward lower-priced and private label goods could create a "flight to value" that tempers nominal sales growth, though reduced taxes, declining fuel prices, and potential interest rate cuts could bolster consumer sentiment and spending power. 

Tariffs in 2026: Businesses and consumers face the next wave of costs

Inflation is forecast to rise to 2.7% in 2026 as businesses pass more tariff costs to consumers, up from approximately 2.6% in 2025, with consumption growth expected to ease to 1.9% as households work to rebuild savings rates. The Trump tariffs represent the largest U.S. tax increase as a percentage of GDP since 1993, amounting to an average household tax increase of $1,500 in 2026, with the weighted average applied tariff rate on all imports rising to 15.8%. Goldman Sachs economists estimate that as of August, U.S. businesses were absorbing 51% of tariff costs while American consumers shouldered 37% of the burden, though consumers are projected to absorb 55% by the end of 2025. Manufacturers have expressed that tariffs are hurting consumer demand, pushing up prices, and complicating business planning, with some firms shifting focus from efficiency-improving capital investments to mitigating tariff costs.