Levin Management: Retail store managers report healthy year-to-date sales
Despite elevated economic volatility, retail store managers are reporting healthy sales and in-store traffic — and they expect the positive momentum to continue in the coming months.
That’s according to Levin Management Corp.’s 2025 Mid-Year Retail Sentiment Survey, which polled store managers in the firm’s 125-property leasing and management portfolio (focused on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions). The survey also reveals how retailers are responding to disruptive technologies and evolving digital marketing tools to improve business processes and customer engagement.
Three quarters (75.2%) of survey participants say their year-to-date sales meet or exceed mid-year 2024 levels. A near matching percentage (74.8%) report same-or-higher traffic, an LMC Mid-Year Survey high. Notably, 82.4% expect sales to increase or maintain pace through the end of the year.
“We asked store managers within our leasing and management portfolio whether economic conditions, trade policy or consumer sentiment during the past six months changed their outlook for 2025,” said Matthew K. Harding, chief executive officer, Levin Management, North Plainfield, N.J. “With under 30% answering in the affirmative, we see a clear indication that retailer performance expectations are less tied to shifting conditions than in the past few years. The bottom line is people are shopping and spending.”
Technology
LMC’s mid-year survey findings also shows brick-and-mortar retailers embracing technology innovations, with 44% of respondents saying their company is making new tech investments this year. Smaller but increasing contingents are actively engaging artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit their businesses (20.2% vs. 11.8% last year) or exploring the use of AI tools (35.4% vs. 20.6% last year).
Levin tenants are using chatbots and other tools to improve customer communication, personalize product suggestions and schedule appointments and deliveries, noted Melissa Sievwright, LMC’s VP of marketing.
“On the business end, AI is being leveraged for inventory control and demand forecasting, marketing and more,” she said.
Digital Marketing
The mid-year survey findings illustrate the wide variety of tools tenants are employing. Standouts include social media (used by 65.3% of respondents), email marketing (62.7%) and loyalty/rewards program platforms (47.5%).
In addition, more than one-third of survey participants are actively incorporating content marketing, display/banner ads, search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO) in their digital mix.
In related findings, 50% of survey respondents who are active on social media say they use paid options such as ads or boosted content, though only 14.4% are currently selling directly within social media platforms. And for the first time, the mid-year survey asked store managers whether they are partnering with influencers in their digital marketing efforts; About one-quarter of participants said they are using influencers to help promote their brand or products.
LMC has conducted its Retail Sentiment surveys three times annually since 2011. Its next poll of retail store managers will be conducted in October/November, gauging expectations and plans for the holiday season.
