Demand for retail space rebounded in the third quarter, with retailers occupying 5.5 million more square feet than they vacated, according to CoStar data, a significant turnaround from earlier in the year. Discount retailers like Dollar Tree, Dollar General, ALDI, and Burlington Stores, along with convenience store chain 7-Eleven, led the push for new stores, and overall consumer spending remained resilient despite economic uncertainties. Demand is expected to soften by year-end before picking up again in 2026, as retailers such as Tractor Supply continue to open new stores.

SITE Centers still has 11 fully owned properties as well as an interest in 11 joint venture properties. The company is already in contract negotiations for the sale of four properties and its stake in one of the joint venture assets. The company is "in the process or intends to commence marketing all other remaining wholly owned retail properties in the near future, subject to market conditions," according to a release from the company. In October 2023, SITE announced the spinoff of Curbline Properties.

SITE Centers has sold the 760,765-square-foot Nassau Park Pavilion in Princeton, N.J., to Bridge33 Capital for an undisclosed sum. The property is anchored by Wegmans and includes Target and Home Depot.

The Rivergate Mall in Goodlettsville, Tenn., is set for a major redevelopment after city leaders unanimously approved a plan to transform the space. The project, led by Maris, will include a hotel, a 51,000-square-foot grocery store, new retail and restaurant spaces, and residential units. The redevelopment will be executed in two phases, with the first focusing on the former Macy's property.

Barnes & Noble's turnaround has been driven by a shift away from centralized control to a decentralized store management model over the past six years, led by CEO James Daunt. Each store team now decides which books to stock, how to present them and even how to price them, based on the interests of its local community. This autonomy has replaced rigid corporate mandates and planograms, allowing stores to develop their own niches and stronger relationships with customers. This agility has made Barnes & Noble an attractive tenant for malls and retail landlords -- the retailer opened about 60 new stores this year and expects similar growth in 2026.

Kroger is shifting its business strategy to emphasize brick-and-mortar stores, planning to break ground on 14 new locations this quarter. Interim CEO Ronald Sargent says the move is part of a broader effort to increase market share and online order fulfillment, as well as to streamline ecommerce operations for profitability.

Toggling between "wartime" and "peacetime" modes depending on the day's challenges is how Tony Spring, Macy's CEO, describes his leadership style in 2025, while emphasizing the importance of graciousness, kindness and long-term thinking. "Our job is to make sure we create a better shopping experience for the customer. There's plenty of things that are out of our control that we could obsess about, but it really doesn't satisfy anything or make you feel any better," Spring says.

Grocery Outlet has begun a store refresh project to improve consistency in the shopping experience following customer feedback about inconsistent product availability. The initiative, led by President and CEO Jason Potter, focuses on enhancing store layout, expanding core product assortment and improving value messaging. Early results from pilot stores show a mid-single-digit lift in comparable sales, and the company plans to refresh 20 stores by the end of 2025 and 150 more by the end of 2026.