By Steve Monroe, CCIM, San Antonio market manager, Oldham Goodwin The past year has seen steady improvement in the key performance metrics of the San Antonio retail market. Two years ago, participants in the retail sector, both local and national, were understandably preoccupied with questions about how the COVID-19 pandemic would impact retailers and owners of retail properties. The shift toward online shopping had begun several years earlier, and there was great fear that the pandemic would accelerate that trend such that it would prove fatal to retailers. The economic slowdown and quarantine restrictions that were implemented during the early part of the crisis appeared to validate those concerns. However, with the widespread availability and use of vaccines during the past 12 months, the San Antonio retail market, which initially saw significant layoffs and dramatic slowdowns, has come roaring back. The move toward online buying has indeed continued apace, and some consumers have shifted toward having goods delivered to them or utilizing curbside pickup models. In spite of these changes, nimble retailers have adapted to the changing landscape, and most are now thriving. In fact, for most retailers, the biggest operational problems have nothing to do with lack of …
