FORT LAUDERDALE, FL—The retail market in Broward County is expected to remain strong, despite the fact that some big box retailers have shuttered locations in the region.

Real estate brokerage firm Avison Young in a series of recently released reports on the retail market and grocery-anchored retail developments in the region offered a positive outlook on those sectors in Broward County due to a number of key market strengths.

The reports, authored by Avison Young's Joshua Ladle, senior associate, capital markets group, consulting & advisory, retail and John K. Crotty, principal, capital markets group investment sales, consulting & advisory, report that Broward County's retail occupancy rate at the end of the first quarter of this year stood at 90.1%, down from 90.9% at the same period last year. There is approximately 5.4 million square feet of vacant shop and anchor space in Broward County's 54 million-square-foot retail market that consists of 590 shopping centers (of over 20,000 square feet). The report notes that the vacant space consists of 47 big box and 34 junior box locations.