Texas Market Reports

As market momentum from 2015 spilled over into the first quarter of 2016 for the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, commercial retail metrics are still firing on all cylinders. The three key market indicators of occupancy, absorption and development are robust and expect to remain that way for the foreseeable future. With fundamentals in check and a thriving economy led by strong employment and population growth, metro Dallas will continue to be a thriving marketplace and a safe haven for investor capital. Record High Occupancy The Dallas-Fort Worth retail market ended 2015 with an impressive 93 percent occupancy — a little over a 1 percent increase from year-end 2014 — achieving its highest occupancy rate in the last three decades. The continued occupancy increase is directly related to net absorption and largely attributable to positive population and employment growth in the Metroplex. Continued Absorption Since 2012, absorption has continuously outpaced the delivery of new construction, and nothing in the foreseeable future looks to disturb this new norm. First quarter 2016 absorption totaled over 1.6 million square feet, with half of that figure attributed to new deliveries. This is the seventh consecutive quarter where absorption eclipsed 1 million square feet. This is …

Houston will be among the nation’s leaders in retail property deliveries in 2016 as nearly 3 million square feet of space is scheduled for completion this year. The new construction will increase retail property supply by 1 percent, the fifth-largest rate of growth for retail space for major markets in the nation. Historically, Houston has had several growth spurts — and some economic recessions — related to the energy industry. The Houston metro area, known as a world capital in the oil and gas industry, has some obstacles to overcome as the upstream oil sector is losing a significant number of jobs. Yet other area employers have gained momentum, keeping job growth positive. Since the Great Recession, Houston’s annual job growth of 2.9 percent has outpaced the national rate of expansion by approximately 130 basis points. However, energy-related layoffs have caused the market to trail national employment growth by the same spread in the last year. Similar to 2015, between 15,000 to 20,000 jobs are forecast to be created this year, maintaining the metro’s positive job outlook. Growth in other sectors of the Houston area’s economy, like health care and downstream oil-and-gas operations, is positively influencing the market and keeping …

Grocery stores are always getting a better understanding of the priorities of their core customers. Convenience, value and service are the top reasons people shop where they shop. However, those priorities are expanding. The focus has shifted away from simply providing a “one size fits all” solution toward a customized strategy to attract a cross-section of customers — from the everyday shopper to experienced foodie. By doing so, retail spaces are successfully opening across the state at an elevated rate, addressing growing customer demand while navigating the ever-changing market. Here are five items impacting grocery stores in our state. Educated Customers Customers are becoming more educated about the products they buy. Their expectations are changing. Retailers are finding creative ways to successfully addressing them. To increase revenue and margins, drug stores are getting into the mix, with mixed results. Established chains like Walgreens and CVS/Pharmacy are renovating over 400 locations, with increased emphasis on rebranding their drug stores as health/wellness retailers and expanding the grocery items kept in stock. Big box stores, like Walmart, are also making changes as they try to refine their market strategies. The company announced that approximately 102 of its smaller Walmart Express stores will be …