Early pandemic fears that brick-and-mortar retail would not live to see the next decade look to be largely unfounded. Shopping centers remain a sound investment for private firms and large institutional investors alike, as evidenced by new numbers suggesting that retail acquisition surged to nearly $82 billion last year, a figure up 24% from the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. This revitalization has continued into this year, with first-quarter transaction volume hitting $25 billion, reflecting an 82% increase from the same period in 2021. In the second quarter of this year, more than 900 shopping centers sold nationwide—a total of $16.6 billion alone for in-person retail. Retail vacancies are the lowest they’ve been in at least 15 years, and current rent averages are up 16% than the rental rates of five years ago.
