2026 Retail Real Estate Trends with Ebere Anokute (BONUS EPISODE)

Retail real estate requires an operator's mindset. While attending ICSC Las Vegas, CBRE's Americas Head of Retail Research, Ebere Anokute, spoke with us about the state of the market, challenging conventional wisdom and leveraging robust data to navigate an evolving retail landscape.Key Takeaways: ·     Investors should prioritize assets in secondary markets with strong population growth and limited new retail supply. These markets have lower vacancy rates and above-average rent growth.·     Retailers can benefit from repeat foot traffic and community loyalty by locating in centers anchored by grocery stores and in-demand service tenants.·     E-commerce accounts for about 16% of total retail sales. This requires retailers to balance brick-and-mortar and digital strategies to sustain growth.·     Grocery-anchored retail remains a compelling long-term investment, with stable cap rates and strong demand from other tenants.·     Service-oriented tenants—such as fitness, healthcare and personal care—are expanding, offering investors attractive income streams.·     Advanced analytics and local market data can pinpoint emerging opportunities and mitigate risks in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.