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Market ReportsRetailTexasTexas Market Reports

How Service Retail Is Stabilizing Houston’s Shopping Centers

by Taylor Williams

By Jason Baker, principal at Baker Katz If you’re only following the national headlines, retail real estate can seem like it’s still defined by store closures and disruption. That’s still part of the story, but on the ground in Houston, the picture is more balanced. Fundamentals remain strong and occupancy remains high across the market. Even as new projects reach completion and new space comes on line, demand continues to keep pace. When space becomes available, it doesn’t sit for long — often with multiple deals competing for a single vacancy. What’s changing is what types of retailers are taking the space. That shift is just as important as the strength of the market. Service-oriented retail, in particular, is emerging as a stabilizing force in Houston. From Goods to Services According to recent data compiled by CoStar Group and analyzed by The Wall Street Journal, for the first time, service-oriented tenants now occupy more retail space nationally than traditional goods-based retailers. In Houston, that trend is clear in leasing activity. A significant share of the leasing activity today is driven by service categories such as health and wellness, medical, med spas, fitness, beauty and pet care. These are the tenants …

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FeaturesRetail

Inside the Shifting World of Retail Construction

by Abby Cox

Let’s get down to brass tacks: there’s not a lot of new retail space being built. What is getting developed reflects a fundamental shift in how retail functions. At the same time, construction itself is becoming more strategic and tech enabled. Developers and contractors are leveraging data, artificial intelligence (AI) and flexible design approaches to better predict demand, reduce risk and adapt spaces for multiple tenants or uses over time. The result is a sector that is leaner, more intentional and increasingly focused on creating places people want to visit. The Big Picture: How the Market Has Changed Retail construction has shifted significantly from the pre-pandemic era to today, shaped by higher material costs, disrupted supply chains and evolving consumer demand. Before 2020, projects benefitted from relatively stable pricing, predictable timelines and a strong emphasis on in-person shopping environments. Since then, inflation and global supply chain volatiltiy have driven up the cost of key materials, while also extending lead times and forcing developers to plan more conservatively.  Carolyn Shames, CEO and president of Shames Construction, shared an anecdote about two identical Walmarts that were built by her company — one before the COVID-19 pandemic and one after. The difference in price …

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AcquisitionsRetailTexas

JLL Negotiates Sale of 105,869 SF Shopping Center in Southeast Houston

by Taylor Williams

HOUSTON — JLL has negotiated the sale of Fairmont Preston Plaza, a 105,869-square-foot shopping center in southeast Houston. Built in 1974 and renovated in 2016, Fairmont Preston Plaza was 89 percent leased at the time of sale. Planet Fitness and Cosmic Air anchor the center via a 26,000-square-foot gym and a 24,000-square-foot trampoline park, respectively. Other tenants include Dollar Tree and 7Brew Coffee. Ryan West, John Indelli, Zamar Salas and Max Myers of JLL represented the seller, Mission Shore Management, in the deal. Matt Moake with HighStreet Net Lease Group represented the buyer.

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Clay-Town-Center
AcquisitionsFloridaRetailSoutheast

Marcus & Millichap Brokers $8.4M Sale of Retail Center in Metro Jacksonville

by Abby Cox

MIDDLEBURG, FLA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $8.4 million sale of a 17,400-square-foot retail center located in Middleburg, roughly 26 miles southwest of downtown Jacksonville. Situated at 1690 Jeremiah St. within the Clay Town Center mixed-use development, the retail property is fully leased to a mix of eight tenants including Mattress Warehouse, Firehouse Subs, Domino’s Pizza and Wingstop. The center was built in 2025 on approximately 3.2 acres. Zack House, Mark Ruble and Chris Lind of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a Delaware-based limited liability company, and procured the buyer, a New York-based limited liability company. Both parties requested anonymity. Ryan Nee was Marcus & Millichap’s broker of record in Florida.

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Leasing ActivityRetailTexas

EōS Fitness to Open 51,000 SF Gym in The Colony, Texas

by Taylor Williams

THE COLONY, TEXAS — EōS Fitness will open a 51,000-square-foot gym in The Colony, a northern suburb of Dallas. The locally based operator will backfill reconfigured spaces previously occupied by Big Lots and Texas Family Fitness at The Colony Marketplace shopping center. Segovia Partners represented EōS Fitness in the lease negotiations. The locally based landlord, Harkinson Dewan, was self-represented.

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AcquisitionsConnecticutNortheastRetail

CBRE Negotiates $21.4M Sale of Shopping Center in Wallingford, Connecticut

by Taylor Williams

WALLINGFORD, CONN. — CBRE has negotiated the $21.4 million sale of a 115,000-square-foot shopping center in Wallingford, located roughly midway between Hartford and New Haven. Wallingford Fair Shopping Center is home to a ShopRite supermarket, Petco store and a self-storage facility. Nat Heald, Jordana Roet, Connor Scott and Kyle Juszczyszyn of CBRE represented the seller and procured the buyer in the transaction. Both parties requested anonymity.

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LoansNew JerseyNortheastRetail

JLL Arranges $11.5M Acquisition Loan for Northern New Jersey Retail Project

by Taylor Williams

CLIFTON, N.J. — JLL has arranged an $11.5 million acquisition loan for a retail project in the Northern New Jersey community of Clifton. The 4.3-acre site at 1030–1050 U.S. Route 46 formerly housed a vacant commercial building that is being redeveloped into a 48,535-square-foot, grocery-anchored retail center that is 80 percent preleased. Ryan Carroll, Nazario Paragano and Christian Badalamenti of JLL arranged the three-year, floating-rate loan through Fidelity Investments on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.

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AlabamaMarket ReportsRestaurantRetailSoutheastSoutheast Market Reports

Selective Growth, Strategic Redevelopment Shape Birmingham’s Retail Market

by John Nelson

Birmingham’s retail market continues to show steady momentum as it moves into a new phase, defined by limited supply, strong tenant demand in key corridors and a growing focus on open-air, lifestyle environments. While higher interest rates and construction costs slowed new development activity over the past couple of years, Birmingham’s most established retail corridors have remained active. Well-located centers continue to lease space quickly, and redevelopment opportunities are beginning to reshape several of the MSA’s outdated retail properties. One of the defining characteristics of Birmingham’s retail landscape today is the limited availability of high-quality space in prime locations. Much of the vacancy that emerged during the pandemic has been absorbed, particularly in grocery-anchored centers and lifestyle-oriented districts. As a result, retailers looking for space in established corridors often face a fairly competitive leasing environment. Demand remains strong among quick-service restaurants (QSRs), boutique fitness operators, medical and service retailers and fast-casual and high-end dining concepts. Birmingham’s suburban growth corridors and mixed-use environments offer many of these advantages, allowing landlords in the most desirable centers to maintain strong occupancy while gradually pushing rents higher. Lifestyle centers Open-air lifestyle environments continue to set the standard for Birmingham’s retail landscape. The best example …

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Leasing ActivityRetailTexas

EōS Fitness to Open 30,000 SF Gym in Arlington

by Taylor Williams

ARLINGTON, TEXAS — EōS Fitness will open a 30,000-square-foot gym in Arlington. The locally based operator will backfill a space previously occupied by Conn’s HomePlus at Arlington Highlands, a shopping center that is also home to tenants such as Ulta Beauty, lululemon and Studio Movie Grill. Segovia Partners represented EōS Fitness in the lease negotiations. Shop Cos. represented the landlord, a partnership between AEW Capital Management and Fairbourne Properties.

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