New York, Dec. 2025
Last week’s ICSC New York event brought a surge of energy to the Javits Center as thousands of retailers, landlords, brokers, and developers gathered for one of the year’s most important retail real estate conferences. The show floor was active throughout both days, with national and regional retailers meeting aggressively with landlords in search of new sites for 2025–2026 expansion. Categories such as grocery, off-price apparel, fitness, medical, home goods, and fast-casual dining were especially active, reinforcing New York’s position as one of the most competitive and dynamic retail markets in the country. Schuckman Realty was among the firms participating, meeting with owners, developers, and expanding retailers to discuss leasing, investment sales, and development opportunities across the New York Metro region.
Across the conference, a clear message emerged: brick-and-mortar retail continues to demonstrate staying power. Multiple panels and research presentations highlighted that physical stores remain central to retailer profitability, customer acquisition, and omnichannel fulfillment. Consumer behavior data shared at the event showed strong foot traffic for value-driven retail, specialty grocery, restaurants, and health-and-wellness categories — all of which continue to outperform broader retail trends. Retailers emphasized flexibility, efficiency, and strategic site selection as key priorities for the coming year, mirroring the cautious but optimistic sentiment of owners and investors navigating the current capital markets environment.
A major theme this year was the growing demand for convenience-focused formats, from frictionless checkout to curbside pickup integration, as well as the expanding role of amenities such as EV charging in driving repeat visits. Shopping centers that combine daily-needs retail with food, wellness, and service-oriented tenants are outperforming, and dealmaking reflected that reality. The conference underscored that despite economic uncertainty, the retail real estate sector is positioned for stable growth in 2026, powered by resilient consumer demand and a development pipeline increasingly shaped by experiential, service-based, and necessity-driven uses. As Schuckman Realty’s team noted throughout the show, the year ahead presents meaningful opportunities for landlords and retailers who remain adaptive, strategic, and aligned with the evolving needs of their customer base.
Source: https://tinyurl.com/japz3a3u
Keywords: ICSC New York, Shopping Center News, Retail News, Schuckman Realty News, ICSC, Retail Leasing, Commercial Real Estate, Brokerage