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Retail Investors Like the Look of Chicago

E-commerce may garner the headlines, but many Midwest retail outlets are in fine shape and attracting coastal dollars.

By Brian J. Rogal | brianjrogal | Updated on September 08, 2017

chi-LakeZurichMariano (2) Mariano’s Fresh Market in Lake Zurich, IL, was one of several of this leading grocer that traded hands.

CHICAGO—One of the most striking changes in the US economy in the past few years has been the astonishing rise of e-commerce and its devastating impact on many traditional retailers. But even as venerable companies such as J.C. Penney and Sears have generated headlines by closing hundreds of stores nationwide, others seem immune to internet competition, and that has kept many investors interested in the sector.

“I’ve been in the business for 25 years, and this is as active as I’ve seen it, despite all the negative press coverage,” Richard A. Frolik, Oak Brook, IL-based executive vice president of CBRE, tells GlobeSt.com. In 2016, CBRE’s Midwest team handled just over $1 billion in retail transactions. Year-to-date, they have already hit $881 million.

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