Naturally, brands that are trending may pique your interest as a viable new tenant. And if you use a retail tenant database like Retailsphere, you can keep an even closer eye on these trends by looking for brands tagged as expanding or trending. In fact, Retailsphere delivers a curated feed of industry news on our front page for this very purpose. 

But tenants aren’t one size fits all. Even if a trendy new retailer seems to be doing great—they may not be an automatic win for your space. Here’s how you can make sure a potential tenant is a good fit.  

For our purposes, we’ll take a look at the national pizza chain, Papa John’s. Latest reports have Papa John’s sales up in 2020 by 24%, and the company is hiring tens of thousands more employees. Bringing on a strong, tried-and-true chain like Papa John’s seems like a no brainer. If you are using Retailsphere, you may want to take a look at their profile before deciding to approach a franchisee about your vacant space. Simply use our search functionality and select the franchisor profile as a starting place.

As you can see below, Retailsphere lists Papa John’s growth status as “Iconic.” Growth status is one of many ways we make your search to find other brands that are growing quickly as easy as possible. But to make sure this is a real win, you need to look deeper. 

Consideration of any new tenant should always begin with a list of your current tenants. Would Papa John’s threaten their business? Would they be in direct competition? If not, take a look at the Expansion Plans section of the profile. You’ll learn quickly what demographics, location size, and location preferences a brand has. If your space meets that criteria, you can reach out to a direct contact. But you may want to look a little further before you take that step. 

Using the Map View allows you to view all current locations of a brand. This will allow you to see the saturation of the brand in your area. You can also view past locations. Has the brand tried to expand in your area before, and not been successful?

The Nearest Competitors map allows you to filter for area businesses that may compete with the brand you’re looking to rent to. While “Italian” and “Pizza” are both easy ways to discover rivals for Papa John’s, you may also want to branch out and search for nearby restaurants of other types. Toggling between “Multi Unit Groups,” “Franchisors,” and “National Brands” can help you find smaller, local competitors as well as big-name rivals. 

Finally, to get the straight facts on if leasing to a specific brand is a fiscally smart move, check out the Financials section of a profile. Here you’ll find important key metrics on income and cash flow, as well as traffic counts, and if everything lines up with your current needs, you can reach out to the brand directly to start talking about how to make them a tenant. 

Interested in a trending brand or niche of business, but not finding the information you need in Retailsphere? We are always working to bring you the most up-to-date data and brand contacts. Open a search request within Retailsphere, and our team will help you with the research. Schedule your no-obligation demo today to see the power of Retailsphere and how it can help make your tenant search simpler than ever.

The post How To Make Sure A Retailer Is a Good Match For Your Space appeared first on Retailsphere.

Efficient Task Management:

Retailsphere's Pipeline CRM™ includes a robust task management system that allows you to prioritize and organize your daily activities. From setting reminders for follow-up calls to assigning tasks to team members, the platform ensures that no important detail falls through the cracks. This level of organization not only increases productivity but also helps create a structured workflow, allowing you to focus on the tasks that matter most and drive your retail business forward.

Centralized Customer Information:

Understanding your customers is crucial in the retail industry, and Retailsphere's™ Pipeline excels in centralizing customer information. The platform consolidates data from various touchpoints, providing a 360-degree view of each your journey. This comprehensive view enables you to tailor your interactions, personalize marketing efforts, and ultimately enhance the overall deal making power. By having all pertinent information in one place, you can make informed decisions and strengthen your relationships with customers.

Automated Processes for Time Efficiency:

Retailsphere's Free Pipeline CRM™ leverages automation to eliminate repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on strategic aspects of your business. Whether it's automating follow-up emails, updating customer records, or generating reports, the platform's automation features can significantly reduce manual workload. This not only saves time but also minimizes the risk of human error, ensuring that your data is accurate and up-to-date.

Integration Capabilities:

To further maximize your day, Retailsphere's Free Pipeline CRM™ seamlessly integrates with other essential tools and platforms. Whether it's syncing with your email, connecting with marketing tools, the CRM fosters a cohesive ecosystem that enhances your overall workflow. The ability to work within a unified system eliminates the need to switch between multiple applications, further streamlining your daily operations.

Retailsphere's Free Pipeline CRM™ offers a powerful solution for brokers, landlords, tenant reps and owners looking to optimize their daily operations. By streamlining communication, providing efficient task management, centralizing customer information, automating processes, and integrating with other tools, the platform empowers businesses to make the most of their time and resources. Embrace the capabilities of Retailsphere's Free Pipeline CRM™ to propel your retail business forward in today's competitive market.

Reach out to see a demo of Retailsphere

The post Track all deals and create sophisticated reports within your personalized Pipeline appeared first on Retailsphere.

While take-out and delivery are options (and great ones for your existing tenants and their customers), even the least domestically inclined people are eating more home-cooked meals. The amount of downtime at home also translates into consuming more snack foods as well as nonperishable goods such as paper products and home cleaning supplies. And these are all things customers head straight to a grocery store to purchase—making grocery brands a perfect tenant for 2020 and beyond. 

On top of that, many communities in the United States are known as food deserts, with shoppers relying on discount and dollar stores (totally devoid of fresh produce) for their groceries. This means there is an opportunity to fill a critical need in these communities. 

Retailsphere can help you not only survey the area around you for competition but also find a grocery tenant that fits your marketplace and vacant space. Here’s how:

First, log-in to Retailsphere’s retail tenant database. Under the search bar, choose “Franchisors,” “Multi Unit Groups,” or “National Brands” for popular brand results or  “Individual Units” for local grocery stores. Looking for grassroots style stores may provide an opportunity to bring in a new and engaging food concept others have yet to tap in to in your area. Plus, it’s as simple as submitting a research request with Retailsphere to gain the valuable insights into the brand so you can reach out with confidence. 

In the field marked “Category” choose “Food.” You’ll want to refine the search by choosing “Grocery” as your subcategory. Under “Select Unit Square Foot,” choose the square footage range that matches your occupancy. If you’re in a food desert, your search results may be very limited if you search by location. Leaving these fields open can help you find retailers that may be interested in expanding into your marketplace. Press search to see your results, or save the search for future reference.

Retailsphere has information on brands of all sizes, from bulk warehouse stores like BJ’s down to pocket-sized chains like Aldi. Use the options on the left side bar to define your search further, or click an option for a list of direct contacts, square footage requirements, and more. You can click “Add Retailer” to create a list to reference later. 

In addition to basic information, you can easily find more about a grocery chain's expansion plans, including their preferred demographics. You can also find detailed results like the money and time spent in the store by their average customer, which will assist in finding the right brands for your space. 

Checking the map shows you all the locations for a specific grocery chain. You can zoom into your area to find out which options are present, or discover if your vacancies happen to be in an area where this retailer isn’t present yet.

Grocery tenants guarantee a steady stream of shoppers. Whether on a weekly shopping trip, getting groceries delivered, or stopping in to pick-up a quick ready-made or cafe-style meal (which many grocery brands are well known for), the grocery store is often a multiple-times-a-week stop for most people. 

And while your area may have its share of supermarkets, smaller brands draw in many customers because of their compact size—just because they make it so much easier to pop in and out. The boutique grocery industry has exploded, with brands such as Trader Joe’s and Aldi going toe-to-toe with big name grocery chains.

Find the best tenant options for you using Retailsphere! Schedule your free demo today.

The post Bringing In Grocery Tenants Is A Smart Move—Here's How To Find Them appeared first on Retailsphere.

There are two types of research requests: (1) a research request for information on the retailer or company and (2) putting a contact verification request to, as it sounds, verify a contact.

The beauty of either a research request or a contact verification request is they both go to the same place: our on-demand research team. And in both cases contacts are verified, but with a research request, the team goes far more in depth rather than confirming simply a contact’s status.

The main difference between the two requests is the type of research you will get.

As you prospect, you will find yourself seeing literally 450,000 retailer profiles. Once you find the retailer you are looking for you simply hit the “research request” button at the top right of the retailer profile page which brings up a box where you can enter a variety of need-based questions.

A typical research request might ask “Can you please find out of this retailer is expanding, and where?” Or you might ask the research team to find a specific job-related contact.

Now where a contact verification request differs is you will see a handful of contacts under the retailer profile, and you can click on the three dots and choose to “verify the contact.” Our team will now go in and verify by calling the contact and make sure they are still at their job and retailer, or if not, the contact will be updated with new info, which will be emailed directly to you and also available in your Pipeline.

Research and contact verifications can also very easily be submitted from the “Activity Feed” of the CRM. If you’ve recently reached out to a retailer or contact through a cadence, your activity feed will show that activity. You can click on the retailer or contact (a sidebar pops up) and see all of the activities that have been conducted. You have several options, one of which is submit a research request.

Submitting a research request is also as simple as figuring out the retailer you want to bring to your location. But in addition, you can specify National Brand, Franchisor or Multi-Unit Group, while including qualifiers like square footage, anchor tenants wanted.

If you have a specific brand in mind and/or don’t see the data you need, we’re happy to do some research for you! 

Click the “request research” button wherever you are in the platform and be as general or specific as you want in your requests. 

Our team is constantly updating information on our brand profiles and creating new profiles at your request. 

Reminder: You can request research from a retail profile or within your pipeline:

• Once the research box pops up, enter the information you are looking for and click “Submit Request”

You can view the status of your requests in the CRM under the Research tab. When research is complete, you will receive an email with the new information.

Find out more at RetailSphere.com.

The post How to put in a Research Request with RetailSphere™ appeared first on Retailsphere.

It’s no secret that JCPenney has been struggling for years, and now the global pandemic has led to bankruptcy and the shuttering of over 100 stores across the country. If JCPenney was one of your anchor tenants, the thought of filling such a large space right now could lead to panic. 

Large-scale brands such as Nordstrom (and it’s discount siblings like Nordstrom Rack) are continuing to hold strong, but expansion plans for many large brands have been put on hold, making another large tenant to fill the vacancy hard to come by. 

One way to think about renting out larger retail spaces is to consider out the box strategies. By carving out and separating departments and floors within one store into a multi-use or multi-tenant space, you can fill your square footage and diversify your space. While the layout may need a few tweaks, features like multiple restrooms and plentiful parking will appeal to both tenants and customers. 

At the very least, you may be able to rent out each floor individually to different retailers instead of filling multiple floors with one brand. While Retailsphere can help you identify national retailers that are still expanding, we believe creating diversity within your shopping center and focusing on smaller footprints, will help prevent the revenue loss that comes with a large store closure like JCPenny.

What does this look like in practice? A vacant department store space could be turned into a shoe store, a children’s boutique, a ladies wear brand, and a home goods store, all coming together in an open marketplace of vendors who flow cohesively together to fill all the voids created by the departure of a large department store.

Retailsphere can help you find a wide range of tenants who could thrive in your vacancy. Let’s dive in to the process:

You can find information on large scale tenants by selecting “National Brands” in Retailsphere. But to research brands who are a bit unique for the space, we recommend focusing on using the “Multi Unit Groups” option. Looking for something specific? Choosing “Individual Units” will allow you to search a brand by name and location. 

Your search will depend greatly on the type of businesses you’d like to introduce into your space. For example, some former department stores have been successfully transformed into local college campuses, while others harbor churches and non-profit organizations. For this search, we chose the “Retail Specialty” category to find a variety of niche businesses. 

Once you search, you can further refine by clicking tenant types. You can also focus on brands with smaller footprints by defining square footage requirements. When you find a brand that interests you, click “Add Retailer” to save to your lists for a closer look later. Clicking a brand name will open a full profile. 

While most profiles in Retailsphere’s database provide in-depth information on a brand’s target market, locations, square footage, and more, you can always request research for additional info. Our research team is here to provide you with the most up-to-date information on prospective tenants. 

Whether you choose to reinvent your space as a home to many different brands, or hope to land just one large tenant, Retailsphere is here to help you make the change. Schedule your no-obligation demo today for even more detail on this powerful, and user-friendly, tool.

The post Replacing JCPenney: How To Use Retailsphere To Fill Large Vacancies appeared first on Retailsphere.

The RetailSphere™ research team operates on a multifaceted approach, blending cutting-edge marketing automation with the human element to delve deep into the intricacies of the retail commercial real estate landscape to get expansion plans and contact information for our clients.

Their goal: To uncover hidden opportunities for clients by finding contact information and reaching out to clients over the phone, via email, marketing automation and more social connections that anyone in the industry to provide clients with the knowledge needed to stay ahead of the curve.

After receiving a research request from a RetailSphere™ client, the on-demand research team immediately hits the phones and works to get the appropriate site selector for the multi-unit group, franchisor, or national brand contact(s). We say contact(s) because in many cases there are multiple contacts that handle expansion and development responsibilities for the retailer.

In some cases, a quick line to the appropriate contact isn’t readily available, and that’s where the team goes to work adding contacts via the website, social media and other RetailSphere™ databases to essentially scrub the internet for information.

Then, using RetailSphere’s™ marketing automation technology, cadences, the team reaches out with a series of crafted emails designed to state the goal, reason for reaching out, and how getting back to the team is a great marketing opportunity for the specific retailer as well.

In the interim, the team spends the time updating the retailer’s profile within RetailSphere™ with the best social, office, cell phone and work history data they can uncover.

But even as all the data is set, verified, and researched, the team will continue to reach out via phone, email, and socials to get the expansion plans verified by the retailer.

The bonus for RetailSphere™ clients, the on-demand research team has built relationships through continued conversations over time with retailers, brokers, tenant reps and shopping center owners, who trust the team and know us by name. But more on that in our next piece.

See more here.

The post How our On-demand Research team works appeared first on Retailsphere.

They also enjoy a regular and reliable cash flow due to insurance payments. While healthcare tenants have traditionally chosen to group together in dedicated medical parks, an increasing number of offices are finding better business away from the pack. The new standard seems to be meeting their patients where need is highest and making the office easy for patients to access.  And while some specialties require very little space, other practices such as stand alone emergency rooms can fill 10,000 sq. ft.+ vacancies. Using Retailsphere makes finding the perfect healthcare tenant easy, no matter the square footage or market you’re working with. Here’s how:

First, log-in to Retailsphere’s retail tenant database. Under the search bar, choose “Multi Unit Groups” or “Individual Units” for best results when looking for medical tenants. “Multi Unit Groups” will provide brands that already have multiple offices, so they may be more readily open for expansion opportunities. 

In the field marked “Category” choose “Healthcare.” You can then use subcategories to refine your search by choosing just one or several options like “Urgent Care” or “Orthodontist.” Retailsphere gives you a broad range of options. You can also choose to leave these fields open. Narrow your search by city, state, or zip code if you’re looking specifically for local options. Under “Select Unit Square Foot,” choose the square footage range that matches your occupancy. Press search to see your results, or save the search for future reference.

Retailsphere will return a custom list of medical brands that meet your requirements.  Clicking on one of the healthcare providers will provide a detailed profile, where you’ll find a description of their services, a list of direct contacts, square footage requirements, and more. Comparing your needs to the profile allows you to find the perfect healthcare tenant for your space.  Think you’ve found a winner? Check the map for a list of all current locations. If the brand you’re interested in already has an office nearby, you can reference the list of competitors to find similar options. 

Still not finding exactly what you need? We recommend making your search as wide as possible. For example, when looking for tenants, specify your state rather than a specific city or zip code as many medical tenants are looking to expand out of their current city.  You can also widen the scope of search by selecting all the subcategories except for 1-2 you know you aren’t interested in. You can use this same strategy for square footage.  If you have a specific brand in mind and don’t see the necessary information, you can simply submit a research request and let our team gather the data you need.

Additionally, our team is constantly updating information on our brand profiles and creating new profiles at your request. Find out for yourself just how Retailsphere can provide you with in-depth information that makes finding the perfect tenants easy! Schedule your free demo today.

The post Why Medical May be the best Tenant — And How To Find Them appeared first on Retailsphere.

Our team speaks to hundreds of retail contacts, site selectors and center owners to determine expansion needs and opportunities. Today we put one of them under the microscope and learn about those conversations.

We sit down with Sarah Lang, one of our researchers at RetailSphere.

RetailSphere: What are some of the challenges you face when you call up a retailer or are working on a request for one of our clients?

Sarah: The smaller the retailer is, like a multi-unit group, we are trying to track down the owner. In that case it’s hoping we catch them at one of their locations, or get their cell phone from an employee, which they are often afraid to hand out.

RetailSphere: But you always get it!

Sarah: Not always, but much of the time and we do so by being upfront. We let them know we have clients with ideal spaces for their expansion and trying to reach out. It’s always a conversation starter. That conversation may be “no way I’m expanding,” but it’s also sometimes “Huh, I wouldn’t mind hearing what they have in mind.”

RetailSphere: Do retailers or business owners ever get annoyed when you call to get expansion details?

Sarah: Quite the contrary. For most of the national brands, franchisors and much of the multi-unit groups, we have established lines of communication…relationships where when I call, they ask me what am I looking for today? That’s what really makes it fun. When a client puts in a request for expansion plans for Starbucks, I know who I’m dealing with.

RetailSphere: So you and the other on-demand researchers call and email for expansion and contacts details, but what are tools are at your disposal?

Sarah: Well, without giving away all our secrets we use a lot of tools within Retailsphere (which clients have access to), including cadences, or marketing automation. It’s a game-changer for reaching and basically setting up a series of touch points and waiting for the responses to come in. We craft emails to retailers, business owners, reps and brokers, asking details in such a way that it’s a conversation they want to have and we get the details our clients need.

But it all starts with the phone. We believe in calling and getting details firsthand. That’s how we build relationships. Sometimes we use social media to get details as well, but more for supplemental details.

RetailSphere: Thanks, Sarah, for letting those unfamiliar with RetailSphere and the on-demand research team behind the curtain of your operations.

The post Closer look: A Q&A with a member of the RetailSphere™ On-demand research department appeared first on Retailsphere.

When you sign up with Retailsphere, you are getting access to a robust retailer tenant database that is constantly updated by our world-class research team. You also get direct access to these researchers as each subscription comes with custom monthly research requests. We’ve previously taken a look at why you should want a research team, but what value does that team actually bring to your organization? 

A research request allows you or a member of your team to leverage our research team, having them reach out to a specific brand to collect valuable information; ultimately delivering a detailed report to you about that brand. And when our research team contacts a brand, they always use that opportunity to confirm contact information for the proper site selector of that brand, included in your report. 

The ability to access our research team is a game changer for real estate brokers and shopping center managers. Your ability to uniquely customize research requests is endless. Want to ask a national brand’s site selector about their company’s interest in your space with specific anchor tenants? You can do it. Once you get a research request back, not only will you be able to confirm your site meets their requirements, but you also know when you call or email, you’re getting the right person the first time. This level of outreach hasn’t been completed in the retail industry before now, giving your team an unprecedented edge over your competitors.

By using Retailsphere’s research team, the value of your membership instantly grows 10x. We’re adding to your team’s ability to reach out to the right tenants every month, without having to hire any one new. And it is all built into your Retailsphere membership, so you can essentially grow your team without ever having an interview.

Plus, when you leverage our team, you know you are getting the most highly-skilled outreach team in the industry; one that understands the information you need and the necessity of accuracy when contacting a brand. They perform research on retailers every single day and have honed their skill set to understand the best ways to reach out to and connect with brands that may otherwise be unreachable. 

What are you waiting for? You are giving your internal team valuable time back, can keep your team lean, and get a higher level of accuracy without training, but merely by subscribing to Retailsphere. We’re committed to providing retail insights from every angle, and our research team is part of that promise. Ultimately, access to our research team makes your subscription invaluable. 

Interested in hearing more about our research team? Want to see research requests in action? Sign up today for a no-obligation demo and let our team walk you through some ways Retailsphere can help you find new tenants.

The post The real value of having an on-demand research team appeared first on Retailsphere.

Each day, RetailSphere’s on-demand research team speaks to hundreds of site selectors about their expansion plans and demographics. Here are five we talked to this week about their specific plans.

Sally Beauty Supply LLC -  Sally informed our researchers they are open to looking at locations nationwide. They are looking for Population of 3 miles - 50,000, 1,400—1,800 sq. ft. based on population and salon counts, with excellent access and visibility from shopping center. They prefer 100,000 sq. ft. shopping center anchored by at least one major tenant, i.e. major grocer, discount store, clothing or department store chain.

Rural King – After talking to our research team, Rural King said they are growing in the midwest and southeast. They are looking for 90k sq ft, non-urban locations, only purchase. They are still expanding and taking site referrals. 

Loving Hut, Inc – Loving Hut told the team they are looking to expand and are interested in Rhode Island but would like all sites sent to them for potential fit. They prefers about 2000 SF lease locations.

Wienerschnitzel Tastee Freez -  They are expanding everywhere. They are looking for 800-2100 square feet and have land requirements (freestanding & conversions): 16,000 – 45,000sf NEW Construction Freestanding: 800/sf (H1 series) no indoor dining or 1,400/sf (H2 series) with indoor dining. Conversion buildings or End-caps with Drive-Thru: 800-2,100/ sf.

Paris Baguette USA-  Our researchers were told Paris Baguette expand based on the franchisee and if you have someone interested in a particular state they will review it. They prefer 3000+ SF depending upon the Traditional or Non Traditional site preference. The newest locations are focused in NC, IL, NY, NJ, OH, PA, TX, MD, SC and VA.

Reach out to RetailSphere™ to see everything the platform can do.

About Retailsphere

Founded in 2019, RetailSphere™ is an all-in-one platform that includes the world’s largest contact database of retail commercial real estate decision makers, a robust email and leasing enablement marketing platform and a simple, intuitive and included Pipeline CRM™ tool. RetailSphere™ is modernizing the way the retail industry connects within a single pane of glass.

Increase your deal flow. Improve your network. Empower your career.

The post RetailSphere’s latest Expanding Retailers appeared first on Retailsphere.