Retailers operating in the suburbs have benefited from the remote work trend, which has led retailers with stores in city business districts to look for space in the suburbs.

Bath & Body Works, among several chains reorienting their footprint away from malls, added 95 off-mall North American stores in 2022 and plans to open approximately 90 more in 2023. Does the growth opportunity for traditional mall-based chains still appear bigger off-mall or is the view of enclosed shopping malls overly pessimistic?

Bloomingdale’s is going small in Seattle, saying it will open a new Bloomie’s, its small off-mall store concept, this year in University Village in the Ravenna neighborhood, north of the city’s downtown. Do you see the Bloomie’s concept as a smart way for Bloomingdale’s to scale its operations to new markets around the U.S.?

In a new pilot, Rite Aid Corp. is opening mini-locations in rural areas in order to serve “pharmacy deserts” and underserved communities. Do you see growth opportunities for Rite Aid or other drug chains serving  consumers in underserved communities?

Throughout the U.S., a number of new Amazon Fresh stores have been built out, but are just sitting there, leading some to wonder if Amazon is quietly backing away from the Just Walk Out grocery concept. Do you see Amazon Fresh’s stalled openings as a temporary retrenchment or a sign Amazon may be reassessing the concept’s approach?

Big Lots is looking to leave the city life behind as it sees plenty of opportunities to grow in places with wide open spaces.  Will a greater emphasis on operating stores in small towns and rural areas and away from more competitive urban markets prove successful for Big Lots?

Simon Property Group is partnering with retail real estate platform Leap to give digital native brands with no or limited physical footprints a brick-and-mortar location in its shopping malls. What does it take for digital native brands to be successful in brick-and-mortar environments?

The pop-up model has brought some retailers a lot of success in recent years, so much so that some retail experts see pop-ups as a standard component in the future of retail. Do you think pop-ups are poised to become more popular over time?

Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has launched a new store design – The Getaway – that seeks to make “every day feel as exceptional as the start of a long weekend” for the chain’s young Millennial and Gen Z customers. Do you think A&F is in a stronger or weaker position to deal with current market challenges than its rivals?

Walmart has partnered with Getaway, known for its quaint cabins across the U.S., to open a 75-square foot “The General Store by Walmart” store concept on wheels at select Getaway “Outposts.” Is “The General Store by Walmart” mostly about marketing and branding or does the store concept have growth potential?

Some say a recession is on the way; others say it is already here, but according to the biggest owner of U.S. shopping malls, the threat of an economic downturn is not deterring retailers from opening new mall locations. How likely is it that mall occupancy rates will remain at the current level or higher over the next two years?

Macy’s is not anchoring itself to malls any longer. The department store retailer said it will open four new small, off-mall stores as part of a multiyear strategy to reinvent its business in suburban “power centers” around the country. How likely is Macy’s to close more of its mall stores and replace them with Market by Macy’s or dual Market and Backstage locations?

Retailers in Miami, San Diego and Cambridge, MA, have joined those in other cities in recent years complaining about the addition of protected bike lanes, although studies show they eventually drive shopper traffic. How confident are you that bike lanes elevate retail traffic for local communities even when they replace parking spots?

Tanger Outlets and Simon Property Group have both recently renewed investments in building outlet centers as inflation has consumers on the hunt for savings. What’s your outlook for outlet centers?

Retailers are trying to negotiate terms like rent abatement or rent deferral in case of a new forced closure, according to a new report. How important is it that retailers negotiate clauses pertaining to potential future government shutdowns into their leases?

“It’s slow progress, but retailers’ interest in urban corridors is returning and deal volume is inching up, while shoppers, workers, travelers and diners return to city life,” according to a new report from real estate services firm JLL. How confident are you that urban retail will soon return close to pre-pandemic levels?

Tempe, AZ, is putting the finishing touches on a planned car-free community built to let its 1,000 inhabitants live — and shop — without owning cars. Should retailers plan on revamping or tailoring concepts for walkable communities like Culdesac, and how?

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, will be opening its first physical store in May. The tech giant will open the Meta Store on May 9 in Burlingame, CA, according to a release on the company website. What will it take for the Meta Store to be successful?

UBS has forecast that 40,000 to 50,000 stores will close in the U.S. by the end of 2026, downwardly revising research from April 2021. Part of the reason is because physical stores have shown their value over the course of the pandemic. Do you agree that “stores have proven their critical role” over the pandemic and, if so, in what ways?

A suburb of Salt Lake City recently revealed plans to build Utah’s first “15-minute city,” a residential planning model in which all daily necessities are accessible by foot or by bike within a quarter of an hour. How would you rate the development potential and overall appeal of 15-minute cities?

Open-air shopping centers — also known as strip malls and strip centers — are leading retail’s real estate recovery and building on momentum seen before the pandemic. What obvious and less obvious factors are driving the appeal of strip centers and grocery-anchored retail?

Simon Property Group announced that shoppers returned to malls in the second quarter as though it was 2019 and the novel coronavirus pandemic had never happened.  Will the Delta variant cause changes in shopping behaviors among consumers in places where there has been a pronounced increase in cases?

Victoria’s Secret, which is attempting to reposition its business as it heads toward a spin-off from L Brands, has restated plans to move its new stores to standalone locations and away from the malls. What changes to store design, operations and other areas do you think Victoria’s Secret needs to make to be successful going forward?

Retailers have announced some ambitious expansion plans that take advantage of pandemic-related closures. Perhaps not by accident, among the biggest are from chains that have minimal e-commerce presence. What conclusions should be drawn from the finding that chains adding the most physical stores in 2021 have a modest online presence?

Macy’s has been struggling to return to national prominence for some time, but CEO Jeff Gennette wants to focus on going big in the Big Apple with plans to transform the iconic Herald Square location into a massive retail landmark. Is this a wise investment on the part of Macy’s leadership or would it be better off directing these resources elsewhere?

The value of flagships has often been questioned, with many promoted more for their branding benefits than four-wall profitability.  Have flagships become less worthwhile given pandemic-related challenges and the shift to omnichannel retailing?

Simon Property Group CEO David Simon offered answers to analysts yesterday that were one part optimistic and another cautious on the prospects for the company’s malls this year. Are Americans itching to get back to consumer activities such as shopping in malls, eating at restaurants, seeing movies, etc.?

The shift to remote working due to the novel coronavirus pandemic is having a significant impact in New York City where some retailers, once dependent on working commuters, are wondering how to keep their doors open. Do you see particular retail districts in major cities significantly changing due to remote work trends?

Immersive entertainment experiences were sweeping the U.S. before the pandemic, but the need to socially distance put it on pause. Now, it could emerge as the new main attraction at the shopping mall.  Do you think big entertainment experiences can adequately replace the revenue and draw malls counted on from anchor department stores?

Before the pandemic, pop-up stores had become a fashionable way for retailers to generate buzz. Now some are seeing them as a way for brands and retailers to get hesitant customers back into the spirit of physical retail.  Will conditions prompt a bigger role for pop-up stores in the months and years to come?

Amazon has been on a buying spree, further proof that Americans have changed their shopping habits in recent years and since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. But what has Amazon been buying? The answer in a word — malls. Do you expect to see more second and third tier malls around the U.S. converted into distribution centers?

Headlines that echo forecasts of thousands of stores closing their doors over the next five years seem alarming on the surface, but perhaps it’s a sign of different things — maybe better or maybe not — to come.  Do you think the prediction that online sales will grow from 18 to 27 percent of retail’s total between now and 2026 is accurate?

Sephora and Bath & Body Works have announced plans to aggressively open off-mall locations in 2021. The moves come as traffic woes impact enclosed malls and strip malls, lifestyle centers and retailers turn to open-air locations that offer a social distancing advantage. Will the shift toward off-mall locations outlive the pandemic?

Gaining leverage due to elevated vacancy rates amid the pandemic, retailers are asking for and increasingly receiving short-term leases. The change carries short-term benefits and long-term risks for merchants.  Do you see shorter and more flexible leases for retailers continuing after the pandemic subsides?

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers’ traffic equaled 90 percent of prior year during 4Q, then further improved to more than 99 percent in January for domestic centers. Fourth-quarter results, however, revealed challenges. Should outlet malls reduce their exposure to apparel and further diversify their mix to continue to prosper?

Simon Property Group CEO David Simon predicted a “major comeback” for suburban retail coming out of the pandemic on his company’s fourth-quarter conference call last week . Will the shift toward remote working, the reduced appeal of urban living or some other factor enhance the suburban retail opportunity, including malls?

Allbirds, the eco-friendlier and profitable online consumer-direct brand, is growing its product line and customer base by opening stores even in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic.  What do you think of Allbirds’ continued emphasis on opening physical stores at this point in time?

RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, last week announced plans to invest $105 million in real estate in the ritzy mountain town of Aspen, CO. The project will result in a hotel, restaurants, residences, spa and retail. Will RH’s move into boutique hotels and residential housing likely help support its luxury positioning in the home space?

COVID-19 accelerated the rationalization of retail’s over-stored environment and the pace of closures isn’t expected to slow. Will the pressure for retail chains to close stores increase or lessen in 2021?

Ghost kitchens have experienced a drastic increase in interest thanks to the surge in online ordering triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Some experts in the foodservice world, however, say that the benefits of ghost kitchens might be more illusory than real for many restaurants. Is the industry overplaying the potential of ghost kitchens?

Retailers are pushing property owners for more flexible lease terms due to the extraordinary disruption caused by the pandemic. One of the tradeoffs landlords are seeking in return is rent as a percent of online sales. Would including a share of online sales in store leases make sense?

J.C. Penney has entered into a purchase agreement with Brookfield Property Partners and Simon Property Group and a group of first lien lenders to acquire the company’s assets. Do you think J.C. Penney is coming out of Chapter 11 in a stronger operating position to put CEO Jill Soltau’s plan in place?

Gap Inc. is getting out of Dodge and just about any other place where it has a store located in a mall.  What do you think of Gap Inc.’s plan to cut store counts and move its Gap and Banana Republic chains out of malls?

Mall of America is donating temporary space to several local businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest. Do you see Mall of America gaining more than good press from Community Commons?

Now that Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners own J.C. Penney, the two mall operators are in talks with Authentic Brands Group to join them in parenting the department store chain. Is brand merchandise a problem for J.C. Penney in attracting new, particularly younger, shoppers to its stores and site?

J.C. Penney announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with two of its landlords on a near eleventh-hour deal. Do you think J.C. Penney will be in a more secure financial, if not competitive, position to run its business once the deal with Simon and Brookfield is complete?

Fleeing residents, empty offices and tourists made scarce by the pandemic are causing wide ranging debates on how steep a recovery cities are facing. How serious a threat is COVID-19 to the viability of cities and the retailers doing business in them?

Simon Property Group is looking for opportunities to acquire once-successful retailers on the cheap as the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic continue to force a record number of chains (AKA tenants) to file for bankruptcy. What do you think about retailers and other companies making investments outside of their core businesses?

Simon Property Group is in talks with Amazon to turn some anchor locations in its malls, which currently are home to or formerly housed a J.C. Penney or Sears store, into local distribution hubs.  Would Simon Property Group benefit from a deal with Amazon to lease former anchor tenant positions in its malls?

On Friday, Westfield Valley Fair, the Bay Area’s largest mall, opened an open-air pop-up market in front of Bloomingdale’s. Are open-air malls and shopping centers better positioned for survival versus enclosed malls?