No Evidence of the ‘Retail Apocalypse’ at Collegiate Retail Projects
April 29, 2019 | Jim Dillavou | Commercial Observer
Ten years ago, during the height of the Great Recession, I was speaking at a conference and made the argument that airport retail was the next frontier in the evolution of retail real estate. I was summarily laughed out of the room.
As a necessary evil, the hallmark of airport retail at that time was limited to overpriced offerings with zero inspiration or creativity. Ten year later, airports across the country are spending billions to upgrade merchandising as airport retailers have become some of the strongest per square foot performers for most retailers and restaurants with airport locations.
History dictates that the proverbial phoenix will once again rise from the ashes of the so-called “retail apocalypse,” and retail developers and investors are now asking: What is the next “airport retail?”
