IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, METAL BUILDINGS HELP USHER IN A NEW ERA IN R

IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, METAL BUILDINGS HELP USHER IN A NEW ERA IN RETAIL

February 11, 2021
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Yolanda Mathew

The retail industry has always evolved alongside shifting consumer preferences, but the convenience of online shopping combined with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges, leading to high store vacancy rates and declining food traffic.

To stay profitable and relevant amidst these changing trends, forward-thinking retail developers are looking beyond the traditional strip mall and department store models of the past when considering development projects for the future.

Many believe a solution lies in a trendy new niche of commercial communities, designed to offer meaningful shopping experiences that e-commerce simply cannot. These expansive outdoor markets boast an array of artisan goods in campus-like settings that draw people out of their homes and into unique community spaces.

These commercial communities, such as The Barlow, a 5-ha (12-acre) trendy outdoor marketplace in Sebastopol, California, appear poised to usher in a new era that could redefine and revitalize the modern shopping experience at a time when the industry is at an inflection point- and developers are increasingly relying on metal building systems as the method of construction to make these hip, high-end spaces a reality.