How Are Retailers Redefining Success Beyond Sales Per Square Foot?

The metrics that define retail success are changing — fast. In this episode of What’s in Store, hosts Karly Iacono and Chris Ressa dive into the evolving ways retailers, investors, and developers are measuring performance in an era defined by data, analytics, and AI.

From psychodemographics that reveal why consumers buy to macroeconomic drivers reshaping markets, Karly and Chris explore how retail site selection, investment decisions, and KPIs are being redefined. They discuss how new data tools are quantifying once-intangible factors — from population behavior to co-tenancy synergies — and how that data is changing the way we understand performance beyond traditional sales per square foot.

The conversation also touches on the influence of political and labor factors, the rise of visits per square foot as a new benchmark, and how AI and predictive analytics may soon reshape everything from store openings to customer engagement.

What you'll hear:

• How psychodemographics are reshaping site selection
• Why macroeconomic “anchors” like universities and studios drive retail growth
• The impact of politics, regulation, and labor markets on expansion
• What “visits per square foot” really tells us about performance
• How AI is turning overwhelming data into actionable retail strategy