It seemed like the pandemic ushered in, or accelerated a trend away from brick and mortar retail locations. 

But the retail real estate sector is bouncing back, according to The Real Deal.

“The market climbed to new heights earlier this year as asking rents are soaring and vacancies are declining across the country, according to a second quarter report from Cushman & Wakefield reported by the Wall Street Journal…Retail vacancy dropped to 6.1 percent in the second quarter. The rate was the lowest the country has seen, not only since the pandemic, but in the past 15 years.”

“Companies are seeking opportunities to expand their physical retail presences as shoppers return. Ralph Lauren and Cartier are among the companies looking to open more locations in the coming years.”

However, the trend may not be occurring in fast food restaurants as we pointed out in a post last month.