The outlook for brick-and-mortar stores is brightening, but headwinds remain.

Author Mark Twain is famously quoted as saying, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Similarly, the retail industry continues to defy expectations and stand the test of time, regardless of long-term trends or the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and recessions.

While retail trends shift based on the economic and political environment, investors continue to add shopping centers and malls to their investment portfolios. As a commercial mortgage originator, understanding the current and forecasted retail trends allows for a more profound discernment of which investments will be fruitful and which investments are likely to falter. Read full feature.