CHICAGO—The overall economy seems in good shape, but that won't stop significant portions of the retail industry from struggling in 2018. That's the big takeaway from Cushman & Wakefield's first quarter report on US shopping centers. Consumer confidence remains at a historically high level, for example, indicating future growth in retail. But bankruptcy and store closure announcements have kept coming, and the next year will see more of the same, most likely in consumer electronics, apparel, department stores, media and sporting goods, typically found in power or mall centers. But not all of the retail news is bad.
“There are certainly sectors of retail that are growing,” C&W notes. “Expansion announcements are happening at the same time that closure news is breaking, they just don't garner as much attention.”
The firm points out that consumers continue to spend. It's just that spending patterns have changed due to the expansion of e-commerce. “Americans have become more value-conscious, and younger generations are placing more importance on experiences than commodities.”
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Brian J. Rogal
Brian J. Rogal is a Chicago-based freelance writer with years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, most notably at The Chicago Reporter, where he concentrated on housing issues. He also has written extensively on alternative energy and the payments card industry for national trade publications.
