Weekly Perl: A Commercial Real Estate News Recap

Marc Perlof • October 3, 2025
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Japan's Konbini convenience stores coming to the U.S.

In Japan, Konbini convenience stores have become part of the country's infrastructure, offering fresh meals delivered several times a day, tickets to concerts and museums, and even services like bill payments. Now the model is coming to the U.S., where critics question whether it will resonate with American customers...

A blurry picture of a clothing store with clothes on display.

Inglewood’s multibillion-dollar makeovers: How major redevelopments transformed the multifamily market


During the early 2010s, the city of Inglewood, California, was experiencing significant financial difficulties. Following the Great Recession of 2008, the unemployment rate reached 17%, with 22% of residents living below the poverty line, per the 2010 U.S. census. Average market asking rents were 17% lower than in the rest of the Los Angeles metro area...

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Starbucks abandons some high-profile urban locations around the country


Of the hundreds of locations that Starbucks is closing, many are in high-profile and busy urban areas — prime retail real estate — as a post-pandemic drop in downtown foot traffic, competition from upstart rivals and a growing preference for drive-thru service take their toll on the coffee giant...

The front of an aldi store with a sign in front of it.

Dunkin', like other chains in the QSR Drive-Thru Report, is balancing technology and hospitality as the landscape shifts.

Let’s start with a debate on consumer behavior: Are fewer restaurant goers visiting the drive-thru?


From January 2024 through June 2025, there have been consistent gains in dine-in, delivery, and takeout trends—the latter spiked 25.8 percent alone in October 2024, according to Revenue Management Solutions. Yet drive-thru remained in negative territory month after month, falling as deep as 13.3 percent last summer and still hovering between minus 5 and 8 percent in 2025...

Spirit Christmas unwraps US holiday store expansion


Spirit Halloween, best known for its ubiquitous spooky holiday stores, is bringing back its other brand, the one that’s more steeped in elves and reindeer than witches and ghosts.

After a trial run last year, Spirit Halloween plans to once again open Spirit Christmas pop-ups. But this go-around, it intends to have 30 of the seasonal retail locations “across the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, nearly quadrupling its footprint from last year,” the Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey-based company said...

Meijer’s next stop will be Western Pennsylvania

Meijer is expanding into Western Pennsylvania, the grocer confirmed to Supermarket News on Wednesday.



The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer has begun purchasing land in a region currently served by Giant Eagle. Earlier this year, Wegmans also announced plans to enter Western Pennsylvania with a 115,000-square-foot location expected to open in 2027...

Billionaire's Los Angeles area purchase expected to clear way for surf park

A high-profile parcel once slated for an office and retail development to complement the new headquarters for the Los Angeles Chargers professional football team in El Segundo is now poised to make waves as a different property use.


A company tied to billionaire Vinny Smith’s Toba Capital has spent $54 million for a 9-acre slice of the former Raytheon Technologies Campus at 100 Nash in the city adjacent to Los Angeles, according to CoStar data...

Costco Q4 tops Street, to open 35 new warehouses; holiday mix to look ‘different’


Costco Wholesale Corp. reported another solid quarter amid strong e-commerce sales, and as it continues to attract new members. 



The retailer’s membership fee income rose 14% to $1.72 billion during the quarter. In September 2024, Costco raised its annual membership fee — the first hike since 2017 — by $5. On the earnings call, CFO Gary Millerchip said that the increase accounted for a little less than half of its membership fee income growth in the quarter...

By Marc Perlof November 17, 2025
By Marc Perlof | MarcRetailGuy November 17, 2025 If you own retail real estate, here’s what just changed for you. A federal government shutdown does more than close offices. It also stops the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from releasing new CPI numbers. When CPI data pauses, retail landlords who use CPI rent increase clauses lose the main tool they need to calculate yearly rent changes¹. Your rent bumps, cash flow plans, and long-term property value all depend on this number. If the data stops, your rent adjustment stops too. Many retail leases use CPI to keep rent in line with commercial real estate inflation. But during a shutdown, no new CPI is published². That means you cannot figure out the exact increase for the year. Tenants may ask for delays. Owners may wait to invoice. Even a short shutdown can slow down your whole rent escalation schedule. What retail property owners should do now: • Read your lease. Many say to use the “most recently published CPI” when new data is not out yet³. • Keep clear records. Save the CPI number used during your last adjustment⁴. • Use the latest CPI available until new numbers return. Then, if allowed, issue a catch-up increase. • Watch federal updates so you can recalculate as soon as CPI reporting restarts. The impact is real. The 2019 shutdown delayed more than 40 major economic reports⁵. CPI covers over 90 percent of the U.S. population, which means almost all CPI-linked retail leases rely on it⁶. If your rent increases use CPI, now is the time to review your lease and prepare for any catch-up adjustments. Call or DM me if you want help breaking this down. How would a delayed rent increase change your NOI over the next 12 months? #CPI #RetailRealEstate #LeaseEscalation #CREOwners #InvestmentStrategy
By Marc Perlof November 14, 2025
Net Lease Strength Driven By Food Tenants In Retail Market A new Marcus & Millichap analysis highlights the resilience of the single-tenant net lease (STNL) retail market, reports GlobeSt. Food-centric tenants are playing a key role in maintaining stability. This comes despite several quarters of net relinquishment across the broader retail sector. Grocery stores, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), and convenience stores are driving that strength...
By Marc Perlof November 7, 2025
Santa Monica Considers Digital Billboard District for Third Street Promenade Santa Monica planning commissioners on Wednesday reviewed a controversial proposal to allow up to 16 large digital billboards on the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place, generating significant debate over historic preservation, public safety and economic recovery efforts...
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