In The News

For the past 10 years, the bookstore sector has been stagnant with minimal growth. Overshadowed by e-commerce giants and digital reading options like Apple Books, Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited, bookstores had an identity crisis – with

By Jason Baker The unique demographics is just one of the reasons this region’s a hotspot for shoppers and retailers, write Jason Baker of Baker Katz. Located at the southernmost tip of Texas, the Rio Grande

As retail real estate leaders head to ICSC Las Vegas in a few weeks, they’re arriving with both eyes wide open – tracking evolving consumer patterns, macroeconomic pressures, and surprising sources of optimism. From shifting site

Health-and-wellness isn’t just for women. Gameday Men’s Health started in 2018 with a couple of clinics in California. Now, it has more than 1,000 location in the pipeline domestically and internationally. “The first franchises opened in

After 68 years serving the West Texas city of San Angelo, the independent drugstore Medical Arts Pharmacy filled its last prescriptions and said goodbye to customers for the final time on Jan. 31. Owner Bryan Abernathy

As chains like Big Lots, Joann and Party City pursue bankruptcy, real estate executives from Burlington to Planet Fitness and Barnes & Noble are champing at the bit to take their empty spaces. 2024 was a

By Jason Baker, principal at Baker Katz If you look back about 150 years or so, drugstores have played a big role in communities nationally and across Texas. From the beginning with small corner pharmacies to

An excess of retail space pre-COVID yielded to a dearth of it. Now, the industry has finally started a measured march to equilibrium. Forecasts show a small uptick in new retail construction planned for 2025 and

For the past 20 years, Jason Baker has helped retailers the likes of Darden Restaurants, Cava, and Fox Restaurant Concepts expand in the Houston metro. Like many retail real estate brokers, a good part of his

Frank Sharp celebrated the opening of Sharpstown Center, Houston’s first enclosed air-conditional mall, on this day in 1961 with a crowd of 8,000 and a speech by Ted Kennedy, the brother of the then-president. Sharp, who

Goldman Sachs’ newly originated loan on the retail component of 680 Madison Avenue in New York demonstrates the changing opportunity set for the sector. The fortunes of the retail sector appear to be rising, with lenders

Space for lease in grocery-anchored, mixed-use development with small shops, multifamily and office centrally located across the street from entertainment venue. Sound like a desirable retail location? Don’t call the broker until you get a look

Today’s ground-up open-air projects differ from those of earlier eras. The changes — including ramping up outparcel tenants, focusing less on big-box anchors and adding spacious lawns, plazas and patios — offer a glimpse into the

LAS VEGAS — The Houston retail market has been strong for years now and consumers in Houston — like many parts of the country — are very resilient. As a result, Jason Baker, principal with Houston-based

A roundtable discussion reinforces the notion that the Bayou City remains a fascinating market that embraces economic evolution and discovery without compromising its roots. Historically, the fortunes of many commercial real estate endeavors in Houston have

Construction challenges, retailer demand and the prospects for 2024 were the talk of the organization’s annual New York City event. Attendees at ICSC’s annual New York City conference presented a wide range of impressions of the

Americans increased their purchases in July, a sign that solid consumer spending is still powering a resilient U.S. economy. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.7% from June to July, according to the most recent report from

With residential construction on the rise, as well, Katz figures the Clutch City to be a retail destination for years to come. Houston is hot! Well, temperature-wise, of course. But it’s been America’s most torrid retail

The rapid and continuing evolution of F&B delivery is shaking up the industry By Jason Baker, Principal at Baker Katz It is hardly a new or novel observation to say that COVID was massively disruptive to

Every month, we reach out to retail industry leaders in order to gain their perspective on the market. This month, we asked: Which retailers/restaurant brands do you predict will be “hot” as we head toward 2024,

Every month, we reach out to retail industry leaders in order to gain their perspective on the market. This month, we asked: Which types of retailers/restaurants do you think will be prioritized by consumers in the

By Jason Baker, principal at Baker Katz When a national retail or restaurant brand acquires another prominent national name, the move might initially seem to make a great deal of sense — especially when there are

It’s been an eventful few years for the retail industry, to put it lightly. While our industry is changing in visible ways in response to post-pandemic pressures and opportunities, there are some lesser reported, but increasingly

The growing appeal and prevalence of fixed CAM. At a time when so much of the retail industry is changing in very visible and sometimes dramatic ways in response to post-pandemic pressures and opportunities, one of

Few retail landlords like the idea of vacant space in their centers. But sometimes a tenant defaults or vacates early, leaving behind dark space. One way to avoid this is when the tenant turns into a

For small businesses trying to relocate or expand in the Houston area, it’s a tough time to be looking. Houston’s retail occupancy rates hit a six-year high in 2022 — 94.7 percent, according to commercial real

The pandemic was supposed to kill brick-and-mortar retail, which had struggled for years against online competitors. As stores shuttered and malls emptied, online shopping only became more entrenched, and customers only more accustomed to clicking, buying

With a new year on the horizon, Commerce + Communities Today contributing editor Joel Groover asked eight decision makers from across the Marketplaces Industry to share their proudest moments from 2022, a year characterized by strong

Data shows malls and shopping centers see increased cross-shopping, more visits during nontraditional hours and greater spend per visit at locations where consumers routinely come to stay in shape. A retailer located in a shopping center

The pandemic was supposed to kill brick-and-mortar retail, which had struggled for years against online competitors. As stores shuttered and malls emptied, online shopping only became more entrenched, and customers only more accustomed to clicking, buying

With a competitive shopping season just a couple of months away, brokers and e-commerce executives share their tips for small businesses looking to stand out. Even though we’re only at the tail end of summer, retailers

Houston is big and getting bigger, says one of the top retail real estate brokers in the market. Retailers looking to expand in the Lone Star State think Dallas first. The rampant corporate and residential expansion

By Florian Martin – ReporterHouston Business Journal Houston-based commercial real estate firm Baker Katz has acquired a shopping center adjacent to League City’s planned 70-acre Riverview mixed-use development. The firm purchased the 108,000-square-foot Pecan Park Plaza

The Covid-19 pandemic has continued to be a challenge for the restaurant industry. Omicron, the most recent strain of the virus, has been the latest threat to restaurants due to high transmissibility resulting in an explosion

Left for dead in the early days of the pandemic retail has bounced back in a big way, particularly in Houston, due to specifics about the city and its growth. In our 100th episode, HBJ Managing

In advance of today’s big ICSC Here We Go 2021 conference, GlobeSt.com caught up with a few attendees on what they look forward to at this year’s live event. LAS VEGAS — “I’m Thrilled to have

By Steve McLinden, Contributor | Commerce + Communities TodayOctober 15, 2021 The first fully air conditioned mall in Houston has a new kind of cool. The 60-year-old PlazAmericas, one of the city’s first fortress malls is

Phenix Salon Suites leased 7,500 square feet in Gateway Memorial City, at 947 Gessner, from MetroNational. It will be the second location for franchisees Greg and Susan Gordillo after opening in Katy in 2019. The business

With an economy that is beginning to recover as more people become vaccinated, retail is recovering, too, in nearly all sectors. Jason Baker, principal at Houston-based commercial real estate firm Baker Katz, said he’s seeing retail

At a time when commercial real estate professionals see promising COVID-19 metrics and a better-than-expected vaccine rollout as signs that the end of the pandemic is near, it’s natural to examine where some of the most

Not much has changed – yet – on the mask front for retailers, many of which were re-evaluating their mask policies on Friday, a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines.

Seventy-foot spaceships and intergalactic tunnels now occupy a 40,000-square-foot space in Village at the West Oaks that once housed shelves brimming with bedding and home goods. Gone is traditional big-box retailer Bed Bath and Beyond, and

While the pandemic has made it impossible for some retailers to stay in business, a new report suggests tens of thousands of retailers could disappear in the coming years. The problem, according to investment bank UBS,

(Cover Photo: Carl Carlock, left, goes through the order line at Cleburne Cafeteria on Thursday, March 18, 2021 in Houston. The Restaurant has seen an increase in business by about 20 percent over the last month.)

HOUSTON – As oil prices inch back up from a terrible year, and Covid vaccines offer hope that the pandemic will be beaten, Houston’s commercial real estate business is far from recovered. The city has more

The Midtown Sears is being converted to a tech hub. Crews are tearing down the Memorial City Sears in West Houston. Now, the freestanding Sears on North Shepherd, the last active Sears department store in the

HOUSTON – Travelers around Houston will notice a growing number of buildings and storefronts that are empty, and the pandemic slowdown is likely to change where and how we spend our money. By comparison: in March,

As COVID-19 disrupts the American economy, healthcare system and way of life, retailers and restaurants — the commercial real estate users whose very profitability and essence thrive on social congregation — have already been pegged as

Even after shelter-in-place mandates, Dallas-based Weitzman closed several retail leases using digital aids, spokesman Ian Pierce said. For example, Weitzman and a national insurance tenant signed a lease in March using digital signing tools, including digital

“No one had a pandemic plan in place, but they are quickly developing them in terms of deep-cleaning methods and controlling crowds at essential-services retailers, which are actually thriving,” said Jeff Pandolfo, a leasing director for

The Sears at Deerbrook and Willowbrook malls are reportedly closing, opening up a rare opportunity for the malls to redevelop a large portion of its retail space. The closures would join Sears locations that have shuttered

Born and raised in Texas, a graduate of Texas A&M, and having spent 15 years serving retailers in the Houston market as a principal of the Baker Katz real estate brokerage, Jason Baker knows the Lone

Academy Sports + Outdoors on Monday opened a store in Richmond with a revamped floor layout and design, part of the Katy athletic retailer’s initiative to improve customers’ shopping experience amid increasing brick-and-mortar and online competition.

A persistent need for a tenant mix that is resistant to e-commerce and which facilitates a unique, authentic experience is prompting owners of older retail centers and malls to assume high levels of risk and redevelop their

Jamba Juice’s new store at 9303 Highway 6 in Missouri City is one of nine locations in the Houston market.Photo: Jamba Juice Jamba Juice has opened at 9303 Highway 6, at the entrance of the Sienna

GlobeSt.com catches up with Baker Katz executives on the popularity of utilizing geofencing to assist retailers with site selection and for shopping center awareness among other things in preparation for the upcoming ICSC RECon conference later

The inclusion of boutique and independent retail has shifted from a curiosity to a priority. By Lunden McGill & Ben Brown, of Baker Katz. In cities around the country, growing numbers of developers are prioritizing the

The 2018 edition of ICSC’s colossal RECon convention is gearing up and GlobeSt.com chats with a few expert sources on their expectations and predictions for the show. “At neighborhood strip malls and power centers, big box

Open-air landlords report strong growth among mom-and-pops Small-shop tenants took a hit when credit dried up after the 2008 financial crisis. Now, a decade later, some landlords are reporting record-high occupancies and rents for these operators,

H-E-B opened a multistory location in the Heights this week, and it is expected to significantly increase the appeal of the Shepherd corridor. The new 92K SF store, at 2300 North Shepherd Drive, includes a two-story parking structure, 50 bike-rack

From first-to-market concepts to established chains, eateries and bars are propelling retail absorption in each of Texas’ major markets, say retail brokers. Over the past couple years, retail investors and developers have begun paying special attention

Analysts worry the high amount of investment in self-storage properties may have outpaced demand for self-storage space, reports the Wall Street Journal. Forbes offers a 2019 real estate investment preview. These are among today’s must reads

Lidl is tweaking its U.S. expansion strategy – By Beth Mattson-Teig   It has been nearly 18 months since German grocery giant Lidl opened its first U.S. stores and boldly announced plans to have about 100

Rtic Outdoors has designed a flagship store that’s just begging to be Instagramed. Customers are greeted by a 24-foot “R” inlaid with a polar bear, the company’s logo. A Ford F-150 truck, displaying coolers, is parked

HighTower Texas signed a 16K SF lease for its headquarters to 4400 Post Oak Parkway in Houston. The wealth management firm committed to an eight-year lease to occupy the 26th floor and plans on expanding services in Houston. HighTower Texas

The Houston grocery chain Randalls will shutter three more local stores by year’s end as the company continues to struggle in the region’s hyper-competitive market. Randalls, a unit of the national supermarket company Albertsons, said Tuesday

Sears, an icon of American retail for more than a century, filed for bankruptcy protection early Monday morning, the latest casualty of the headwinds facing brick-and-mortar retailers. The embattled department store chain, once the world’s largest,

Houston developers wrestle with complex regulatory issues in the 100- and 500-year floodplains. By Kenneth Katz & Neal Wade of Baker Katz The Houston metropolitan area was hit particularly hard by Hurricane Harvey, with a tropical

As the industry goes into a new hurricane season, retail property owners and tenants have had nearly a year to evaluate their responses to last year’s trio of hurricanes, which caused a record $202 billion in

For decades, Mardie Paige drove 10 minutes out of her neighborhood to shop at Kroger stores in nearby Heights and Oak Forest. There were no major grocery stores in the traditionally African-American neighborhood off the North Loop,

Nearly a year ago, Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston-area residents with historic flooding. Houston Strong, the city’s rallying cry for recovery efforts, held true through the year since Harvey hit Texan land on Aug. 26, 2017. The city

Several restaurant chains are heading out to southeast Houston near Baybrook Mall. Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, Mod Pizza and Main Squeeze Juice Co. inked leases at a new shopping center at 820 Bay

With off-price player like Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and Ross Stores entrenched as favored anchors for shopping centers, traditional anchors like Macy’s are finding it harder than they imagined to get in on the act. There’s more

Luxury athletic clubs in the Houston area are bulking up in size and amenities, part of a national trend to capture the growth in fitness spending. Life Time just opened one of the region’s largest gyms,

Download   Randalls — once the go-to store for grocery shopping in Houston — has been edged out over the years by its competitors offering lower prices and wider selections. The homegrown company, now a subsidiary

RECon attendees detailed strategies for major renovations and reported renewed interest in the sector from institutional capital sources. Judging by conversations with a few of the developers and project managers at RECon on Monday, a steady

Savvy entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry are finding success by being ‘differentiators’ in product offerings and branding. From fast casual to fine dining, Americans’ appetite for more restaurant options is growing. The Bureau of

Rent for Houston retail space has risen to an all-time high, despite a long-term decline in brick-and-mortar businesses. The average asking rent for Houston retail space during the first quarter rose to $16.90 per square foot,

Retail observers would be hard-pressed to name a loop, high street, highway or byway in any large American market that is a bigger hotbed of retail development than Greater Houston’s aptly named Grand Parkway. When completed

What will 2018 bring to Houston’s bustling business community? We turned to some of our reliable sources for their observations and predictions for the year to come. Here’s a compendium of what we learned: Economy to

Houston retail construction is tapering off as the rising popularity of online shopping gives developers some pause. An estimated 3.3 million square feet of new shopping centers are slated for completion across the Houston area this

SEATTLE — Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has opened the first location of Amazon Go, an 1,800-square-foot mini grocery store in Seattle that allows customers to shop without waiting in checkout lines. The store was open exclusively

Tenant leases are ending sooner as landlords get more innovative about their space By Steve McLinden   Retail product cycles are not the only shrinking index in the shifting shopping center landscape. Leases, too, are getting

Houston may see a slowdown in retail development in 2018 – but that probably isn’t a bad thing. “Two years ago, there was no end in sight (to retail developments),” said Jason Baker of Baker Katz

Here’s a look at the trends, announcements and deals you may have missed at the mid-week point in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and Arkansas. NEWS AND NOTABLES AUSTIN, TX—Legend Communities and Crescent Communities announced Rough

As the line between click-and-order and brick-and-mortar continues to blur, our preoccupation with the impact of online retail misses the point, an industry veteran contends. The narrative is so well established that even those outside the

Here’s a look at the trends, announcements and deals you may have missed in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and Arkansas. NEWS AND NOTABLES SAN ANTONIO—Texas business executive Weston Martinez, a member of the Texas Real

According to Jason Baker, principal with Houston-based retail brokerage Baker Katz, mid-level retailers that don’t offer a unique or private label product are going to get hurt more and more in the near future. by Natalie

Discount chain is eager to expand beyond its Midwestern stronghold, and its local growth has been speedy By Dylan Baddour Grocery discounter Aldi will invest $3.4 billion to expand its U.S. presence by 900 stores in

Landlords and tenants grapple with how to calculate rents based on omni-channel sales By Joel Groover What would happen if a basic question in the shopping center business – exactly how much  money a store makes

By Andrea Rumbaugh Total Wine & More is taking over two Houston-area Goody Goody liquor stores as the Maryland-based company continues its aggressive growth and goes head-to-head with local stalwart Spec’s. Goody Goody spokesman Armando Gonzalez

Retailers are positioning themselves as the online giant’s brick-and-mortar ambitions unfold By Joel Groover Speculation about the real estate role of Amazon.com is growing as more information emerges about its closely held plans for U.S. stores.

Jason Baker, founding partner of Houston-based retail brokerage rm Baker Katz, credits this trend to the efforts of traditional grocers such as Kroger and H-E-B to diversify their product lines and service offerings. “Twenty years ago,

The Landlord forgoes base rent and collects only percentage rent as a way to prop up tenants at risk of going dark. And in yet another scenario, percentage rent kicks in as a result of the

After taking a hit post-recession, construction and development lending is accelerating once more, but community banks are proceeding with caution. By Beth Mattson-Teig Construction loans that all but disappeared in the wake of the recession are

HOUSTON—A new generation of experiential movie theater concepts is departing with industry conventional wisdom and beginning to change mixed-use development calculations, says Baker Katz in this EXCLUSIVE. HOUSTON—While going to the movies has always been an

Houston’s housing market over the last few decades has expanded largely to the north, west and even south. Now the northeast, long considered a “sleeping giant,” may be ready for a growth spurt of its own.

If Houston retailers are going to survive the grocery store wars over the next five years, they need to start marketing and catering more to the Hispanic population, says an industry expert. In the past 14

Houston retailers should target the growing Hispanic consumer population over the next five years to boost their competitiveness, minding details such as shelf height, music and other things that go beyond product selection and advertising, says