Like people and jobs, Dallas’s retail space marches north

Economists are addicted to line charts to depict how cycles unfold over time. But maps can be equally effective at visualizing how markets change.

For example, this map shows how Dallas’s retail inventory, organized at the Census Block Group level, has evolved over 30 years.

In the 1990s, when regional malls held sway in American culture, the mega-sized Galleria and NorthPark Center were prominent features of Dallas’s retail landscape. Fast forward 20-30 years, and retail real estate has followed Dallas’s explosive population growth northward. Along with the move north, new retail types emerged, such as big-box ‘category killers’ and lifestyle centers. These properties generally occupy smaller footprints and therefore result in fewer dark green block groups.

Today, the retail sector is seeing a renaissance, benefiting from the post-Global Financial Crisis strengthening of household balance sheets and the 15-year lull in new development. This new dawn sparks many interesting questions. Which neighborhoods have the biggest mismatch between disposable income and nearby retail space? What retail property type is in shortest supply? To answer these questions, we intend to mobilize our proprietary data and geospatial expertise to deliver actionable answers.

CBRE EA has access to building-level inventory across all property types that can be aggregated to most geographic units (not just submarkets). If you are interested in a custom area(s) analysis, feel free to reach out to the sales team to discuss your project.