7 Standard Retail Spaces in a Transforming Industry (2024)

7 Standard Retail Spaces in a Transforming Industry (1)
  • 06/19/17
  • 5 MIN READ

7 Standard Retail Spaces in a Transforming Industry (2)

Ian Ritter

Freelance Writer, VTS

The retail real estate industry has been in the news a lot recently, with the traditional tenant mix evolving and entrenched shopping habits transforming. Amidst this evolving environment, let’s take a step back and get a refresher about the different types of tenant spaces that make up most shopping centers and the tenants that call them home.

1. Anchor Tenants

The anchor(s) of a shopping center, both malls and open-air facilities, are the largest tenants in retail assets, meant to draw the majority of the traffic to the property by feeding shoppers to neighboring smaller stores. In community centers, an anchor could be a grocery store, gym, or drug store.

Square footage varies depending on the type of shopping center. Department stores are around 250,000 square feet, a Walmart Supercenter usually comes in just below 200,000 square feet, grocers average about 30,000 square feet and drugstores are on average 15,000 square feet.

In the case of department stores, like Macy’s and J. C. Penney, which are being talked a lot about nowadays because of major closures, it is common for them to own their own stores. The same goes for Walmart and some of the open-air anchors.

Lease structures can also be different for anchors than other tenants. In the cases when an anchor pays rent, they are often offered certain incentives for the traffic they attract. Much of the time, these tenants’ leasing fees are based on a percentage of their store revenues.

Meanwhile, mall anchors are changing. Since so many department stores are closing, landlords are finding a number of concepts to fill these empty shells. To fight against online shopping, owners are leasing entertainment venues, restaurants, grocery stores and fast-fashion tenants.

2. Junior Anchors

While traditional anchors, whether they are a department store, a Walmart, a drugstore or a supermarket, might be a one-stop shop for several kinds of goods, a junior anchor usually specializes in a specific product. In open-air power centers, these tend to cluster near each other.

Junior anchors one could find in a single property are: PetSmart, Staples, discount clothiers like H&M and TJ Maxx, and others. These tenants usually vary between 15,000 and 30,000 square feet. Additionally, these stores can also be given rent incentives by landlords to draw traffic for smaller surrounding merchants.

Several of these concepts have gone out of business, such as Circuit City and Linens ‘n Things, but landlords have gotten creative and filled many of those vacancies with gyms, specialty grocers, like Trader Joe’s, as well as churches, government offices and other civic uses.

3. Inline Tenants

Inline tenants are what most people would consider the small stores in malls and open-air centers that fill in the space between the larger, previously mentioned, formats. These are the stores that make up for the discounted rents provided to anchors and typically pay more per square foot. They run between 1,500 and 5,000 square feet, depending on the store.

In a grocery-anchored center, these tenants are usually dry cleaners, nail salons, take-out restaurants and other necessity outfits. Community and lifestyle centers might also have apparel or other specialty stores, as well as local businesses. In malls, most of them are apparel outlets, which, like department-store anchors, are having store-closing issues due to online shopping and the vast number of venues to buy similar clothes. Those retailers are now adjusting and trying to give shoppers a reason to enter their doors.

4. End-Caps

In strip shopping centers, end-caps are gold. These are the spaces in smaller outdoor centers that are at either end of the asset. Normally, they get better street visibility than neighboring inline tenants, but retail operators pay for them, up to about $15 per square foot more, according to Saglo Development Corp. End-caps can also have more parking options, a drive-thru and outdoor space, among other pluses. National tenants and restaurants are usually found in these shells.

5. Pad Sites

Pad sites are found in the parking lots of large shopping centers. Typically net-lease properties, they include quick-service food, drug stores and banks, usually with a drive-thru component. Pad sites, which average around 15,000 square feet, can add more GLA and ROI to a shopping center. They also get heavy daytime traffic, and in the case of the restaurants and drug stores, may be open later than several of the center’s inline tenants.

6. Elbows

When an outdoor center is shaped at a right angle, the elbow is at the meeting point of two rows of storefronts. Elbows are usually not the most sought-after spacesdue to their poor visibility and a lack of parking, noted the Appraisal Institute. Some of them are on two levels as well, which can make for a complicated retail space, since it can be tough to get consumers to shop upstairs. This can mean cheaper rents for tenants, such as local businesses, that want to break into the market. Additionally, a destination store, such as Apple, could do well in these venues, as they are destinations no matter where they are located in an asset.

7. Stand-Alone Stores

Finally, there are stores that are not actually attached to shopping centers. IKEA, The Home Depot, Walmart, and other large-format destination venues are common. However, most savvy developers take note, and shopping centers with the spaces mentioned above usually pop up in their vicinity.

Ian Ritter

Freelance Writer |

VTS

7 Standard Retail Spaces in a Transforming Industry (3)

Ian Ritter is a veteran business journalist who has covered the retail and commercial real estate industries for more than a decade. He has held high-level editorial positions at GlobeSt.com and was formerly an editor at the International Council of Shopping Centers magazine SCT. He is a regular contributor to VTS' blog and is also online content manager for the engineering firm GRS Group's blog. Over his career, Ritter has written for several publications and holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University.

Connect with Ian Ritter

7 Standard Retail Spaces in a Transforming Industry (2024)

FAQs

7 Standard Retail Spaces in a Transforming Industry? ›

Retail store dimensions within a neighborhood center can range from 20'x 40' to 75'x120'. Convenience stores, restaurants, and service shops are typically between 40'-70' in depth, while grocery stores and discount centers can range in depth from 100' to 120'.

What is the standard dimension retail stores? ›

Retail store dimensions within a neighborhood center can range from 20'x 40' to 75'x120'. Convenience stores, restaurants, and service shops are typically between 40'-70' in depth, while grocery stores and discount centers can range in depth from 100' to 120'.

Which type of spaces are required in retail store? ›

Retail Floor Space

Divide this area into selling and non-selling areas such as aisle, storage, promotional displays, customer support cell, (trial rooms in case of clothing retail) and billing counters.

What is the future of retail spaces? ›

Future retail spaces will become a genuine blend of physical and digital, and consumers will want a compelling, experience-driven reason to go there. Retailers can achieve this by going beyond an “omnichannel” strategy— being present everywhere, to embrace a new “metachannel” strategy — being integrated everywhere.

What is an example of retail space? ›

  • Malls. These properties are probably the easiest to identify on the retail landscape. ...
  • Lifestyle centers. ...
  • Factory outlets. ...
  • Power centers. ...
  • Community centers. ...
  • Neighborhood centers. ...
  • Convenience centers. ...
  • Mixed-use retail.
Oct 4, 2021

What are the 5 dimensions of retail? ›

op Smile are: Goods, Price, Staff, Convenience, Retail and Customer Service.

What is the most effective space in a retail store? ›

Diagonal layout

The diagonal store layout gives customers better visibility of the items on each shelf and can provide a more open feel to the store. This is an effective layout for stores that can have a lot of foot traffic, as it's an efficient use of space.

What is the most common store layout? ›

Perhaps the most popular of the types of retail store layout, the grid arranges the floor space into long, rectangular aisles that customers can navigate between as they see fit. The grid is one of the most popular layouts, used by many supermarkets, pharmacies, and retail stores. Advantages: Great for larger retailers.

What will retail look like in 2030? ›

In 2030, retailers must have an integrated omnichannel shopping experience that allows them to plan their supply based on the demand they're driving by personalizing offers, making product recommendations, and better directing customer interest. That's how retailers will keep margins where they need them.

What is the future of retail in 2023? ›

And while 2023's growth will be lower than 2022's, the forecast is above the pre-pandemic average annual retail sales growth rate of 3.6%. E-commerce will also have a banner year in 2023, with sales projected to rise 10 to 12% increasing between $1.41 trillion and $1.43 trillion.

What will retail look like in 2050? ›

There'll be a rise in 3D and even 4D “virtual merchandising” in stores, saving retailers the cost of having a large product inventory. Retailers will use virtual mannequins and 3D holograms to display merchandise. Ultra-fast Delivery — Products being delivered in few hours of being ordered will be a common thing.

What is a creative retail space? ›

Creative retail design is a memorable, unique design style that enhances brand recognition and customer loyalty by providing customers with interaction and experience through technology integration, personalization, or an unusual interior design concept.

What are the three types of retail locations? ›

Types of retail store locations
  • Brick and mortar retail.
  • Mall space.
  • Shopping centers.
  • Business parks.
  • Downtown.
  • Home-based.
May 12, 2022

What are the 7 types of layout? ›

Types of Plant Layout:
  • Product layout or line processing layout or flow-line layout.
  • Process layout or functional layout or job shop layout.
  • Fixed position layout or static layout.
  • Cellular manufacturing (CM) layout or Group Technology layout.
  • Combination layout or Hybrid layout or Mixed layout.
  • Service Facility Layout.
Sep 7, 2018

What are the 4 layout strategies? ›

There are four basic layout types: process, product, hybrid, and fixed position. In this section we look at the basic characteristics of each of these types. Then we examine the details of designing some of the main types.

What are the 5 C's of retailing? ›

The 5 C's are “company,” “collaborators,” “customers,” “competitors,” and “context.” The initial step is to understand what each represents and how it might help your business's marketing. The 5C marketing framework can help a business understand its position in the marketplace.

What are the 5 R's of retail? ›

In 1927, Paul Mazur defined retail product merchandising as the five rights of merchandising: 1) the right merchandise, 2) in the right quantities, 3) at the right time, 4) at the right price, 5) in the right place.

What are the 5 key considerations for designing a new retail experience? ›

5 Key Considerations When Designing Retail Space
  • Floor plan. The second a customer enters your store, they should be ushered through a preplanned journey that will offer the best experience possible. ...
  • Checkout kiosks. ...
  • Lighting. ...
  • Change rooms. ...
  • Storage and workspace.
Jul 4, 2022

How do I optimize store space? ›

17 Practical Tips to Optimize Your Warehouse Space
  1. Calculate Your Current Space Utilization to Know Exactly How Your Space Is Used. ...
  2. Pull Extra Space out of Thin Air with Strategic Beam Placement. ...
  3. Use Containers That Fit the Stored Item to Find Extra Space. ...
  4. Maximize Your Space by Storing Items According to Size.

What are the two most important components of retail store layout? ›

The interior retail store layout has two important components:
  • Store Design: The use of strategic floor plans and space management, including furniture, displays, fixtures, lighting, and signage. ...
  • Customer Flow: This is the pattern of behavior and way that a customer navigates through a store.
Oct 26, 2017

What is the major selling area for a store? ›

The primary trade area, which provides 55 to 70 percent of a store's business and is where the frequent customers are. The secondary trade area is where the next 15 to 20 percent of the business comes from. The tertiary trade area, which is the source of the remaining business.

What are basic principles of store layout? ›

Your store layout determines how and where you'll display products and the path customers take through your store. Within retail store design there's grid layouts, herringbone layouts, loop layouts or free flow. The loop layout is particularly effective for creating a path for customers to follow through your store.

What are the three types of store layouts? ›

  • Grid. Everyone will be familiar with the traditional grid layout. ...
  • Herringbone. If you have a long and narrow store, then the herringbone is a layout that you should look into for your business. ...
  • Loop (Racetrack) ...
  • Free-Flow.

What are the 4 Ps of retail strategy? ›

The four Ps are product, price, place, and promotion.

What are the four paths to retail growth? ›

At its most basic level, they can be evaluated as penetration, expansion, development, and diversification.

What are the trends for retail in 2025? ›

Retailers must prepare for 2025 by harnessing data and analytics, strengthening supply chain resilience, prioritizing compelling content, embracing circularity and driving ecosystem evolution.

What are consumers looking for in 2023? ›

One report shows 82% of shoppers want brands to embrace sustainable and “people-first” practices. Another survey even found 75% of Gen-Z shoppers felt sustainability was more important than brand names.

What is an omni channel in retail? ›

Omnichannel retail is a strategy in which retailers engage customers through multiple digital and physical touchpoints. As customers move across these channels, applications and data move with them. This creates a consistent, on-brand experience from start to finish.

What is the fastest growing retailer in 2023? ›

Amazon will once again hold first place by a wide margin in 2023, with 37.6% of US retail ecommerce sales compared with the 6.4% of No. 2 Walmart Inc. Amazon has lost share since last year, but that will change in 2024, when its share will increase to 38.0%.

What retail themes for 2023? ›

Retail is expected to change significantly in 2023, with omnichannel retail, social commerce, and the metaverse shaping the industry. Experiential retail, personalized shopping experiences, and frictionless shopping are also predicted to be key trends.

How retail is changing 2023? ›

In 2023, default rates in retail are expected to stay relatively low, according to Fitch Ratings, but it's likely to be another year where retail's strong get stronger and the weak suffer for it. Some sectors could be better off than others.

What trend is growing among retail shops? ›

Social and mobile commerce are two of the biggest digital trends in the retail industry — and they're booming. From selling on Instagram to launching an online store, retailers are experimenting with multiple ways of meeting the evolving needs of customers.

What are the three or four major ways retailing shopping will change in the future? ›

Tech will continue to shape retail
  • Online shopping is more important than ever. ...
  • Retailers are reducing packaging waste. ...
  • Technology will shape retail workforce management. ...
  • Personal shopping services will increase. ...
  • Marketing and customer engagement will see changes.
Feb 28, 2023

Are retail stores becoming obsolete? ›

However, as more and more of the population receives vaccinations, it's become abundantly clear that brick-and-mortar retail will never disappear. There's no denying that it won't look the same. Even with vaccinations on the rise, it's likely that masks and social distancing will remain a part of our lives.

What is immersive retail design? ›

Immersive Environments: Creating immersive environments can help transport customers to another world and provide a unique and memorable experience. Retail spaces can use design elements such as lighting, sound, and visual displays to create a cohesive theme that resonates with customers.

What is social retail space? ›

Social retail is the practice of using social media to engage with customers and sell across physical and digital channels. Social retail attempts to use technology to mimic the social interactions found in physical malls and stores.

What makes a good creative space? ›

Your creative space should feel intimate and personal as well. Photographs are a great way to make the area feel unique and bespoke. Invest in high-quality tools to honor your creative endeavor (whether that means great paintbrushes, professional design software, or quality paper).

What are those big 3 retail fundamentals? ›

He doesn't like the word “overhaul” but prefers “transformation,” and the goal of Lowe's current transformation is a return to “retail fundamentals.” According to Ellison, these are: Be in stock. Have an efficient supply chain. Make productive use of your space.

What are the three core elements of the retail industry? ›

The customer's shopping experience, including the physical layout of the store and the arrangement of merchandise. The pricing and revenue model, including the pricing strategy (such as high-low or everyday low prices) and value-added services, such as free delivery.

What are two main retail formats? ›

Retail Formats can be classified into the following categories: Store Based: Store based formats can be further classified into two formats based on the basis of Ownership or Merchandise offered. Non Store Based Classification: Non Store retail organizations focus on establishing direct contact with the consumer.

What are the 5 retail merchandising planning activities that should be considered? ›

The Five Crucial Steps of Merchandise Planning
  • Establish a Cross-Channel Merchandise Planning Process. ...
  • Establish a Cross-Channel Merchandise Planning Organization. ...
  • Define Exit Strategies for All Merchandise. ...
  • Assign Logical Store Clusters. ...
  • Acquire the Proper Tools.
Jan 15, 2015

How do I run a successful retail store? ›

How to set up a retail business for success
  1. Have a plan.
  2. Seek financing.
  3. Secure a proper space.
  4. Acquire adequate materials.
  5. Hire a strong team.
  6. Manage your back office.
  7. Invest in a point of sale system.
  8. Organize your accounting and bookkeeping.
Mar 17, 2021

What is the size of a Walmart shop? ›

Walmart began building Supercenters in 1988 and are around 182,000 square feet employing about 300 associates. Walmart Supercenters offer a one-stop shopping experience by combining a grocery store with fresh produce, bakery, deli and dairy products with electronics, apparel, toys and home furnishings.

What are the dimensions of a typical convenience store? ›

Traditional Convenience Store: the traditional convenience store is about 2,400 to 2,500 square feet in size and offer a product mix which includes dairy, bakery, snack foods, beverages, tobacco, grocery, health and beauty aids, confectionery, and perhaps prepared foods to go, fresh or frozen meats, gasoline, various ...

What is the common size of the retail store in a shopping center? ›

The anchor tenant of the shopping centre is typically a department store that occupies space with a size range of 50 000–300 000 square feet.

What is the industry standard for dimensions? ›

The Graphics' industry standard is width by height (width x height). Meaning that when you write your measurements, you write them from your point of view, beginning with the width.

How many square feet is a Target store? ›

Fast facts. Of our 1,954 stores across the U.S.: Nearly 180 are small-format stores. Sizes range from several thousand to over 200,000 square feet.

How many square feet is a Dollar General store? ›

A DGX store is a roughly 3,400 square foot retail store located in an urban area carrying a wide assortment of products including: Fresh sandwiches and salads.

What stores are bigger than Walmart? ›

By revenue
RankNameHeadquarters
1WalmartUnited States
2AmazonUnited States
3CostcoUnited States
4Schwarz GruppeGermany
65 more rows

What is the best layout for a convenience store? ›

Grid layouts are the most common. They are ideal for stores that keep an eclectic variety of merchandise on long shelves and follow a familiar, predictable layout. Loop-style layouts purposely lead customers around the store in order to showcase every bit of merchandise before they reach the checkout.

What is the average size of a 7 11 store? ›

Average Store Size: 2,500-4,000 sq. ft.

What is bigger than convenience store? ›

Grocery Store: Grocery stores tend to be larger than convenience stores.

What store layout is recommended for small stores? ›

Smaller shops in particular need to make the most of the limited space available to them, but may find it challenging to settle on the best layout. The straight, free-flow, and angular layouts have all proven to be particularly effective for smaller shops.

What are the 11 types of dimensions? ›

It's just an imaginary idea that indicates a position in a system.
  • The first dimension – a line. ...
  • The Second Dimension – A Split. ...
  • The Third Dimension – A Fold. ...
  • The Fourth Dimension – A Line. ...
  • The Fifth Dimension – A Split. ...
  • The Sixth Dimension – A Fold. ...
  • The Seventh Dimension – A Line. ...
  • The Eighth Dimension – A Split.

What are industry standards in the industry? ›

A set of criteria within an industry relating to the standard functioning and carrying out of operations in their respective fields of production. In other words, it is the generally accepted requirements followed by the members of an industry.

What are the 16 dimensions? ›

A 16-Dimensional Space is a space in which each point requires a sexdecuplet of numbers to describe its position. This makes it a hyperrealm. A verse with sixteen dimensions is called a hexadecealmverse.

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