Louisville’s economy remains resilient, and regional economic growth is creating a strong foundation for the retail market. Greater Louisville Inc. recently announced that 72 businesses are considering relocating or expanding to the region, with the potential of 8,200 new jobs and $3.8 billion in economic investment. Louisville is well-positioned for growth and the retail outlook remains strong with historically low vacancy rates. The market’s expanding consumer base and resilient economy have mostly overcome headwinds such as interest rate fluctuations, volatility in capital markets and signs of a slowing economy. This resilience has put Louisville in a strong position moving into the last quarter of 2024. At the end of the second quarter, Louisville’s vacancy rate stood at a strong 3.4 percent, outperforming the national benchmark of 4.1 percent, according to CoStar Group. The limited amount of new retail construction over the past 18 months has played a significant role in keeping the vacancy rate low. In fact, only roughly 322,000 square feet of retail space has been delivered over the past 12 months. Grocers are pushing leasing activity, making up 36 percent of the leasing volume that past 12 months. These retailers are executing most of the activity in spaces …
