It's much easier to sit on your couch and order goods online than to physically go to the store and deal with lines, traffic, et cetera. Amazon has done an amazing job at making shopping easy and with Amazon Prime you can receive same-day deliveries.

(Read about why omni-channel trends may spike in 2017.)

You are now even seeing Amazon try to capture the grocery market by introducing Amazon Fresh, a grocery pickup service. Amazon already delivers, but now they are testing out smaller pickup locations in Seattle.

Amazon is ahead of the curve and everyone else is playing catch up. It's important for grocers and retailers to adapt and to figure out ways to accommodate today's shopper.

GlobeSt.com: How are landlords breathing new life into their empty big box spaces?

Mason: You're seeing a lot of entertainment uses come in and backfill some of these big box locations that were previously housing traditional retail. Shopping centers are introducing new concepts such as trampoline parks, inflatable play centers, and electric go-carting. These are great ways to backfill some of these vacant boxes and continue to bring bodies to your shopping centers.

ATLANTA—With big box retail shrinking, innovative ideas are springing up in centers across America. Beyond new tenant mixes, trends like wax museums and indoor skydiving has emerged in some cities.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Reid Mason, director at Franklin Street, to get his thoughts on what factors are driving the shrinking box trend in Atlanta's retail market in part one of this exclusive interview. Stay tuned for part two, in which we will discuss which retailers are still growing despite the current market challenges.

GlobeSt.com: Big box stores are becoming smaller boxes. What are the factors that are driving that trend and how is Atlanta's commercial real estate affected and responding to that trend?

Mason: E-commerce continues to be the driving factor towards retail boxes shrinking. That's nothing new.

It's much easier to sit on your couch and order goods online than to physically go to the store and deal with lines, traffic, et cetera. Amazon has done an amazing job at making shopping easy and with Amazon Prime you can receive same-day deliveries.

(Read about why omni-channel trends may spike in 2017.)

You are now even seeing Amazon try to capture the grocery market by introducing Amazon Fresh, a grocery pickup service. Amazon already delivers, but now they are testing out smaller pickup locations in Seattle.

Amazon is ahead of the curve and everyone else is playing catch up. It's important for grocers and retailers to adapt and to figure out ways to accommodate today's shopper.

GlobeSt.com: How are landlords breathing new life into their empty big box spaces?

Mason: You're seeing a lot of entertainment uses come in and backfill some of these big box locations that were previously housing traditional retail. Shopping centers are introducing new concepts such as trampoline parks, inflatable play centers, and electric go-carting. These are great ways to backfill some of these vacant boxes and continue to bring bodies to your shopping centers.