Schuckman News / Blog

In 2026, U.S. store openings are outrunning closings for the first time since the pandemic — and grocery, discount, and off-price retailers like Aldi and Burlington are backfilling the second-generation boxes their fallen competitors left behind.

A $75M Family Dollar sale-leaseback, Aldi’s 180-store push, and a two-speed store count all point to the same thing: quality necessity-anchored retail space is scarce, and capital is paying for certainty.

The survivors are opening, the strugglers are pruning, and grocery-anchored centers keep printing steady checks. Today’s retail openings, closings, and Q1 earnings — through a CRE lens.