Market Reports

Detroit’s economy is reinventing itself and slowly gaining its footing after the Great Recession and the city’s bankruptcy. Low interest rates supported record auto sales in 2016 and another strong showing last year, adding some stability to the metro area’s bellwether industry. A rejuvenated downtown and new, growing industries are invigorating the retail market. The story of retail in Detroit closely follows the overall narrative of the market — out with the old and in with the new. Because of this, well-known national retailers such as John Varvatos and Lululemon have made their way into downtown, while international retailer Zara established a presence in Troy, reiterating the market’s strengthened retail sector. Job growth is closely aligned with retail sales, and payrolls in the Motor City have been expanding, on and off, since mid-2009. At times, the snail’s pace of growth has proven frustrating for a market that bore an above- average burden due to population declines and the auto industry’s collapse. The outlook is positive, however, and total nonfarm payroll employment in metro Detroit eclipsed the 2 million mark last year for the first time since 2006. Manufacturing and professional and business services have provided the foundation for the local …

Steady employment gains and new households in metro Detroit have boosted optimism in the retail sector. The local economy added 36,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2017, an expansion of 1.8 percent and in line with employment growth nationally. Job gains were led by the professional and business services sector, which filled more than 12,400 positions. This segment includes many well-paying tech jobs as companies such as Penske Logistics and Lear Corp. increase staffing. As of August, Detroit’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.2 percent, down from 5.3 percent a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Amazon.com is rapidly expanding in the metro area. Amazon opened a fulfillment center in Livonia this fall, creating 1,000 positions, and has additional facilities planned in 2018 for Romulus and Shelby Township that will create a combined 2,600 jobs when fully staffed. The combination of job creation and increasing wages is boosting household incomes and contributing to rising retail sales. The median household income in the third quarter stood at $59,600 per year, slightly higher than the U.S. level. The gain in spending power is benefiting existing retail operations and attracting new businesses such …

Detroit’s sustained employment growth, along with focused redevelopment and revitalization efforts, have brightened the metro area’s economic outlook and propelled the retail market this year. Six consecutive years of job gains have attracted new residents to the region and stemmed population outflow. Strong hiring trends have boosted household incomes, and retail sales are ascending as a result. The local economy is expected to create 38,000 new jobs in 2016, representing a 1.9 percent annual expansion. The local unemployment rate stood at 4.9 percent in August, the lowest rate since 2001 and just 10 basis points higher than the national level. The professional and business services sector led employment gains over the 12-month period that ended June 30 with nearly 12,000 additional workers hired. Ripple effect of jobs growth The abundance of job opportunities is also contributing to higher household incomes. Over the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, roughly 7,500 households were created and the median household income climbed 3.1 percent. These improvements supported a 1.3 percent hike in retail spending over the same period. Encouraged by the positive economic trends in Detroit, retailers are expanding many existing storefronts, while companies such as Nike and restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory, …