ATLANTA—The dust has settled on ICSC Southeast and the takeaways are rolling in. The bottom line: mass expansions and the tech effect.
Jim Ivie, director specializing in tenant representation and site selection for clients throughout Georgia and the Southeast, attended the event. GlobeSt.com caught up with him to talk about his views on what came out of the event in part one of this exclusive interview.
GlobeSt.com: What was the crowd and tone like at ICSC Southeast?
Ivie: At ICSC Southeast this year there was a large turnout for the show with an increasing presence of landlords and developers. Many retailers seemed to skip this year’s show as their pipeline is full and they already have tons of deals in the works.
Take for example Lidl, the German-headquartered global discount supermarket chain that is targeting 3,000-square-foot freestanding locations along the East Coast for expansion. The company previously announced plans to open 800 stores by 2018, and last month raised that to 1,000 stores. This is just one of many retailers who are planning huge expansions during the next couple of years.
GlobeSt.com: What effect is technology having on retail?
Ivie: Technology has always impacted retail in various ways. This year, we saw apps like Uber Eats are creating an entirely new omni-channel approach to restaurants. Uber Eats allows people to order food from restaurants, local favorites, chains and hot new chef-driven concepts alike, from the convenience of their own home or to their place of work.
Technology won’t replace experiences, but instead will enhance it in select categories. For example, technology and traditional apparel retailers are still concerned about the showrooming effect and people using in-store shopping as a means to research brands, sizes, et cetera, before buying in an app or online. What remains to be seen is how it will impact sales long-term.
Are chain restaurants getting squeezed out? Read one opinion in my recent column.
