Strip Centers Shine as Some Shoppers Sour on Malls
Grocery store-anchored or not, the throwback shopping centers appeal for proximity, convenience. Jonathan Moukhtafi, a chiropractor in Coconut Creek, Fla., isn’t big on spending time at shopping malls. But he finds himself going most every week to the Coral Creek Shops. “My bank is there, my wife’s hair stylist is there, I send packages from […]
Big Brands, Online Startups Find Success Rests on Store Shelves
American shoppers will buy almost anything online. But when it comes to household mainstays, from razors to tampons, the old-fashioned store still beckons. That reality is hitting some of the world’s biggest consumer-products companies, which collectively have invested billions of dollars in startups in recent years that sold directly to consumers. Meanwhile, upstart brands are […]
Economic case study: Huntsville capitalizes on ‘Rocket City’ roots
A new era for aerospace and defense has been emerging — and Huntsville is capitalizing on it. Before the late 1950s, the northern Alabama community’s claim to fame was as the “watercress capital of the world.” Then the Army’s nascent ballistic missile program moved to the shuttered World War II chemical weapons outpost that would […]
Despite Economic Churn, Real Estate Still Appeals to Investors
Real estate still appeals to investors even as economic uncertainty looms and changes in demographics, infrastructure, technology and consumer behavior are triggering flexibility in development, space design and business operations, according to a new report, “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2020,” undertaken jointly by PwC and the Urban Land Institute.
The Boutique Fitness Boom
A visit to an upscale suburban mall or a city shopping district used to be marked by stops at Gap, Sharper Image and Barnes & Noble, ending in a pile of shopping bags. Now it’s about taking a $36 Pilates class, maybe followed by a $36 indoor cycling session if you’re really committed, then hitting […]
Business is Booming in Madison County
Madison County in north Alabama is one of the fastest growing counties in the Southeast and home to leading defense, aerospace and technology industries. A recent analysis by 24/7 Wall Street found the Rocket City is one of the best places in the country for the number of high-tech jobs. Huntsville ranks No. 3 on […]
Greenville named fourth fastest-growing U.S. city
A new report released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau probably won’t shock many who’ve watched the fast-paced development and influx of jobs in Greenville within the past decade. The city of Greenville, according to the bureau’s latest population figures, is the fourth-fastest-growing city in the nation — growing by 5.8 percent as of last […]
THE FAST-CASUAL SECTOR IS STILL BOOMING
Arguably the most surprising number to come out of Technomic’s recently released Top 500 Chain Restaurant Advance Report was the continued strong performance of fast-casual chains, which grew sales by 8.9% last year. That was a surprise, because many of us expected a smaller number, given challenges at publicly traded chains such as Noodles & Co. and Potbelly.
Why Raleigh-Durham Is One Of The Top Secondary Apartment Markets
One question now for the Triangle apartment market, according to the speakers at Bisnow’s first Raleigh-Durham Apartment Forum, is whether the exceptional recent growth of the market — rents, occupancies, new development — has been the result of a particularly good cycle, or a more fundamental shift in the regional economy toward the better.
Ripe for Investment, Charlotte, North Carolina, is Bucking the U.S. Slowdown Trend
Unlike some of the major U.S. markets, Charlotte, North Carolina, is experiencing strong growth in its real estate market. “Everyone’s moving to Charlotte,” said Jason Gentry, managing broker at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, which services the Charlotte area. The banking and tech sectors are strong in Charlotte, and more business is coming, as several companies, […]