Phillips Edison Reveals Top Retail Shopping Center Trends to Watch in 2022

Phillips Edison & Company (NASDAQ: PECO), one of the nation’s largest owners and operators of grocery-anchored shopping centers, released today its insights on the top shopping center trends to watch in 2022 as part of ICSC’s Here, We Go event.

Among the trends PECO is tracking, the company noted various ways retailers are finding to get closer to their consumers, including a focus among traditionally bigger-box brands to open smaller-format concepts. Leading retailers including Target, Kohls, Bloomingdales and Panera Bread have all announced models that integrate smaller footprints. Curbside pickup and buy-online-pick-up-in-store (BOPIS), which exploded during the pandemic, have also been found to meet clear needs among consumers and will continue to be a significant demand driver.

Technology is creating new and better ways for brands to engage with consumers and further enhance their omni-channel strategies. Specifically, social selling has become a prominent way for consumers to find and purchase goods that appeal to their personal preferences – and virtual and augmented reality are making it even easier for retailers to bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping, offering new ways to “try before you buy.” Retailers continue to invest in automation tools that make the entire process, from order through delivery, more efficient.

“With supply chain issues dominating headlines as we navigate the holiday season, automation is playing a critical role in how retailers are getting product from point A to point B,” said Mike Conway, Vice President of National Accounts and Retail Partnerships at PECO. “These tools can help brands to better track, identify and analyze issues, informing their decision-making and also allowing them to better and more proactively communicate with customers to set expectations and handle delays. Automation also provides critical predictive analytics that allow retailers to take a hyper-localized approach to stocking their shelves at neighborhood shopping centers like ours, advancing their last-mile delivery strategies. We expect to see continued investment in automation and supply chain technology.”