Members of the Charlotte Mastermind Group discussed continued retail activity – but a change in that activity across the greater Charlotte area. In the central and urban areas, they are seeing a shift in size of stores, driven down by e-commerce options, and continued development of live/work/play communities with a sizable retail and services component, especially those with transit access. The ‘big boxes’ are shrinking in size or are slowing their development and deploying capital towards their e-commerce solutions (not to the traditional bricks and mortar). Existing grocery chains remain curious about newcomers to the market, especially Lidl, and how expansive their plans will be. For the fast casual market (including concepts like Zoe’s Kitchen and Shane’s Rib Shack), rents have gone up by $10/sf in the last 2 years, from $28-32/sf, due to a demand for more tenant improvements to be funded by center owners. Activity remains strong, but what is being developed – or redeveloped – is shifting dramatically!