SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Population growth, strong demand, increasing absorption and decreasing vacancies are evidence of a robust retail sector in the San Bernardino County region of the Inland Empire. This makes it a great place for retailers to locate, CBRE 's senior managing director Jeff Moore tells GlobeSt.com. We spoke exclusively with Moore about the County's retail sector. During the interview he covered the areas of the County that are performing the best as well as the categories that are expanding. GlobeSt.com: Give us an overview of San Bernardino County from a retail perspective based on this last quarter. Moore: GlobeSt.com: What have been some top-performing cities and retailers in the County? Moore: As far as categories go, we're seeing a lot of demand in the specialty grocers in particular, including a big rollout of Aldi supermarkets, Sprouts, Smart & Final Extra and Grocery Outlet . And the fitness category is also doing well—not only from LA Fitness and 24-Hour Fitness , but also from some of the smaller boutique fitness companies like Planet Fitness and Chuze Fitness . There is also continued demand from fast-casual restaurants , which is a consistent retail trend, but especially true in the County. We are seeing interest from the Habit and other pizza concepts. There's also been continued growth and demand from discount retailers like Hobby Lobby, Marshall's, T.J.Maxx and the dollar stores. And we've seen growth from indoor playgrounds, trampoline centers and other similar uses that are experiential. These uses attract customers, especially in the tertiary markets that need a destination to draw people into the shopping center. This is where you'll see this type of use expand. It's a different type of environment and shopping experience than the traditional one, and these experiential environments are a regional draw. GlobeSt.com: Who's expanding and why, and/or what category is really growing/expanding right now? Moore: Millennials In terms of who is expanding, you have to go with either value or experience in the County. The restaurants are growing because the internet is not affecting food sales—people want to go out and eat, and they're pressed for time. Specialty grocers are growing because they found a niche in the market. People want to go to Sprouts or Smart and Final because they have specific buying patterns—they still may go to a grocery store, but they're not buying everything they need there. GlobeSt.com: Where is next best opportunity for retail growth, both from a location perspective and from a retailer/category perspective? Moore: GlobeSt.com: Anything else you would tell a retailer about considering a location in San Bernardino County? Moore: SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Population growth, strong demand, increasing absorption and decreasing vacancies are evidence of a robust retail sector in the San Bernardino County region of the Inland Empire. This makes it a great place for retailers to locate, CBRE 's senior managing director Jeff Moore tells GlobeSt.com. We spoke exclusively with Moore about the County's retail sector. During the interview he covered the areas of the County that are performing the best as well as the categories that are expanding. GlobeSt.com: Give us an overview of San Bernardino County from a retail perspective based on this last quarter. Moore: GlobeSt.com: What have been some top-performing cities and retailers in the County? Moore: As far as categories go, we're seeing a lot of demand in the specialty grocers in particular, including a big rollout of Aldi supermarkets, Sprouts, Smart & Final Extra and Grocery Outlet . And the fitness category is also doing well—not only from LA Fitness and 24-Hour Fitness , but also from some of the smaller boutique fitness companies like Planet Fitness and Chuze Fitness . There is also continued demand from fast-casual restaurants , which is a consistent retail trend, but especially true in the County. We are seeing interest from the Habit and other pizza concepts. There's also been continued growth and demand from discount retailers like Hobby Lobby, Marshall's, T.J.Maxx and the dollar stores. And we've seen growth from indoor playgrounds, trampoline centers and other similar uses that are experiential. These uses attract customers, especially in the tertiary markets that need a destination to draw people into the shopping center. This is where you'll see this type of use expand. It's a different type of environment and shopping experience than the traditional one, and these experiential environments are a regional draw. GlobeSt.com: Who's expanding and why, and/or what category is really growing/expanding right now? Moore: Millennials In terms of who is expanding, you have to go with either value or experience in the County. The restaurants are growing because the internet is not affecting food sales—people want to go out and eat, and they're pressed for time. Specialty grocers are growing because they found a niche in the market. People want to go to Sprouts or Smart and Final because they have specific buying patterns—they still may go to a grocery store, but they're not buying everything they need there. GlobeSt.com: Where is next best opportunity for retail growth, both from a location perspective and from a retailer/category perspective? Moore: GlobeSt.com: Anything else you would tell a retailer about considering a location in San Bernardino County? Moore:NOT FOR REPRINT
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Carrie Rossenfeld
Carrie Rossenfeld is a reporter for the San Diego and Orange County markets on GlobeSt.com and a contributor to Real Estate Forum. She was a trade-magazine and newsletter editor in New York City before moving to Southern California to become a freelance writer and editor for magazines, books and websites. Rossenfeld has written extensively on topics including commercial real estate, running a medical practice, intellectual-property licensing and giftware. She has edited books about profiting from real estate and has ghostwritten a book about starting a home-based business.
