Craig and Ali Baker, Vice President at Avison Young in Toronto, discuss the dynamic landscape of Canadian retail, focusing on the transformative effects of the pandemic and the shift towards suburban markets.

In the conversation, Baker highlights the resurgence of suburban strip plazas and the competitive nature of these markets, driven by the pandemic’s influence on consumer mobility and retail preferences. Quick service restaurants, service retail, and boutique fitness studios are identified as areas of significant activity, indicating a move towards experiential and service-based retail offerings. The discussion also touches on challenges and opportunities in urban retail, emphasizing the importance of traffic generation and a diverse tenant mix for landlords.

Looking forward, Baker shares insights on emerging trends and the continued importance of physical retail spaces. Despite the challenges posed by inflation and changing consumer habits, she remains optimistic about the retail sector’s resilience and potential for growth. Baker’s experiences and observations offer a comprehensive overview of the current state and future prospects of Canadian retail, highlighting the industry’s adaptability and the critical role of strategic leasing and market understanding.

Episode Sponsor: 

• Salesforce - Turn today's shopping trends into tomorrow's retail success. Visit Salesforce to see the global insights from Salesforce to boost your bottom line.

Featured During this Episode: 

• Ali Baker, Vice President at Avison Young
• Avison Young

This podcast is the audio version of the The Interview Series video podcasts by Retail Insider Canada are available through our Retail Insider YouTube Channel where you can subscribe and be notified when new video episodes are available.

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Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/