Finance & Capital Management

As Congress reconvened after Easter, retail operators had a tremendous amount at stake. The industry is in an unprecedented state of strife with major legacy brands announcing large-scale closures.

If that’s not enough, here is another one to consider: Roughly 80,000 retail workers lost their jobs in the past year, a total that is greater than the number of workers in the entire coal industry. Clearly the disruptive impact of the online economy is quickly and permanently taking its toll on traditional retail operators.

Retailers looking for dramatic energy savings at the lowest cost should think radical – and that means using an integrated design process right from the start.

“Radically efficient buildings are, among other things, 75% more energy efficient than typical construction” said Paul Westbrook, president of RE:source consulting, at the SPECS session, “An Improved Road to Energy Savings.”

Opportunistic acquirers continue retail’s reinvention, making business good for creative management companies

Unusual circumstances are forging the best of times for third-party shopping center managers. Rampant store closings, after-effects of the commercial mortgage backed securities crash, and opportunistic buyers are creating opportunities for innovative managers to reinvent properties for their clients.

Whether purchasing individual assets or restructuring entire portfolios, top acquirers have plans and stick to them.

Stick to your knitting. That appears to be the mantra for this year’s top acquirers, all of which, save one, have appeared on this list in previous years. Most relate that, in the late stages of a recovery, discipline, tenacity and structure are key to closing deals. This year, staffers at two of these tenacious companies can chant, “We’re No. 1!”

Given the success of this year’s Fastest-Growing Acquirers, it’s understandable to think the process seems simple. Well, it’s not as easy as it looks, warned G. Joseph Cosenza, president of Oak Brook, Ill.-based Inland Real Estate Acquisitions. Quality must meet opportunity and yield, he said.

The grocery-anchored center remains as strong an investment as ever, Cosenza said. An Inland fund that’s dominated by grocery-anchored projects (approximately 80%) has 95% occupancy. Supermarket renewals are resulting in rent increases of 10% and higher.