In a discussion of the ongoing transformation of U.S. retail, panelists participating in the 2020 ULI Spring Meeting Webinar Series agreed that the authenticity, differentiation, and transparency creating a sense of place in mixed-use retail spaces are likely to be what consumers seek in the future. Single-use spaces are about convenience, but that is only half of what consumers say they are looking for.

A timely report by ULI Europe sets out the potential triggers for the required restructuring of Europe’s retail real estate sector.

At a ULI Central Florida event, panelists discussed their strategies for turning around a underperforming retail districts in nearby St. Petersburg, largely through the curation of a more specific tenant mix.

When e-commerce first became entrenched in China, it seemed to sound the death knell for traditional retail. Sporting venues and other cultural attractions are helping bring foot traffic to the experiential retail of the future, said panelists at a ULI event in Shanghai.

We are long past the point of discussing how technology has interrupted our lives and changed our perspective of the world. We are now in the post-disruption era, and in many sectors including retail, a new normal is emerging. At the same time, we are finally at a place where we can connect the dots to understand how retail is evolving—more efficient through technology and more engagement-focused through experience. The biggest idea driving the newest and most successful retail strategies is wrapped around how we value things—especially time.

A lot of thought and hard work go into making a place look like it could not have appeared anywhere else.

With the convenience and increasingly experiential process of shopping online, how can retail stores and malls compete? Thriving brands are combining their online and brick-and-mortar experiences to keep foot traffic high and regenerating communities.

At the ULI Japan Spring Conference 2018, panelists discussed how Japan’s malls can reinvigorate themselves with culture and content. Retail in Japan has not suffered as badly as elsewhere from the effects of online shopping, but the industry is concerned that malls need to offer more to retain customers.

Retail developers who gathered at the 2018 ULI Florida Summit talked about what is working and what isn’t, as they shift their focus to more entertainment and dining amenities combined with mixed use from the traditional strip centers of the recent past.

Berlin’s landmark luxury shopping center is being refreshed at a price in the hundreds of millions and with Rem Koolhaas at the helm.