By Chad Iafrate, Executive Director, and Phil Lyons, Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield Retail leasing and investment sales transaction volumes continue to increase in 2022. This growth trend began to surge in the second part of 2021 following the pandemic recovery. Retail vacancy rates in San Diego County have decreased quarter over quarter to 5.9 percent, with vacancy lowest among power centers and strip centers. Asking rental rates, meanwhile, have increased across the county. This is primarily driven by significant rent growth at lifestyle centers (+5 percent from the previous quarter) and neighborhood centers (+2.8 percent). All major retail use categories seem to be back in expansion mode after four consecutive quarters of positive absorption. Pent-up consumer demand, stimulus and liquidity have all helped fuel growth plans in the retail sector with tenants continuing to try to make up for the lost year during the 2020 pandemic-related lockdowns. Suburban shopping centers have been the beneficiary of the work-from-home model as employees who would typically frequent retailers near their offices have pivoted to restaurants and shops closer to their residences. Investor confidence in retail centers also continues to increase, most notably from rising REIT activity and exchange buyers. Local retail investment …
