Architects

Retail renaissance: What's next?

The retail construction category, long in the doldrums, is roaring back to life. Consumer confidence and economic recovery are showing considerable regional variation, with urban cores expected to exhibit the best growth in the sector according to recent research by Jones Lang LaSalle. Meanwhile, consumers' interest in mobile shopping and educational components is influencing thinking about what a store is meant to be.

The retail construction category, long in the doldrums, is roaring back to life. Consumer confidence and economic recovery are showing considerable regional variation, with urban cores expected to exhibit the best growth in the sector according to recent research by Jones Lang LaSalle. Meanwhile, consumers' interest in mobile shopping and educational components is influencing thinking about what a store is meant to be.

If your company is involved in designing, building, or operating retail stores or restaurants, we'd love to hear your opinions as we plan coverage of this sector in the first quarter of 2014. What are your clients asking for? How is this different from business as usual? What types of facilities are showing strength (or not) in the markets where you work?

Please send me your comments ([email protected]), as well as information about interesting projects you're working on or have recently completed (a description and at least one good high-resolution photo or rendering, depending on whether the building is finished). I'll be excited to hear from you and share your expertise with the readers of BD+C.

DEADLINE: JANUARY 3!

About the Author

Julie S. Higginbotham

Julie S. Higginbotham, Senior Editor of Building Design + Construction, has more than 20 years of experience writing about the built environment. Previously she was editor of Laboratory Design newsletter, and a member of the editorial team at School Planning & Management, College Planning & Management, Building Supply Home Centers, and American Nurseryman. She is a recepient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award and multiple regional and national awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE).

Show more
Sign up for Building Design+Construction Newsletters