The Retail Apocalypse is over; The Retail Renaissance has arrived
Reports of the death of the store were greatly exaggerated.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Nearly a decade ago, the outlook for shopping centers could not have looked worse. But reports of the death of the store were greatly exaggerated.
- The U.S. consumer never lost their penchant for shopping as the economy continued to grow. And shopping center occupancy rates continued to climb as barely any new construction was added.
- Strong demand is meeting very limited supply for highly occupied shopping centers strategically located in high-growth, high-income markets, anchored by leading retailers.
Transcript:
Remember the Retail Apocalypse?
Nearly a decade ago, the outlook for shopping centers could not have looked worse.
But reports of the death of the store were greatly exaggerated.
The U.S. consumer never lost their penchant for shopping as the economy continued to grow.
And shopping center occupancy rates continued to climb as barely any new construction was added.
Meanwhile, what did not kill the most adaptable and well-managed retailers made them stronger.
They didn’t just survive the apocalypse. They adapted.
They are thriving in vibrant, growing communities.
Grocery stores, the largest component of brick-and-mortar retail, have proven to be irreplaceable by warehouse distribution.
Omni-channel retailing with physical stores supporting online order fulfillment is the new reality.
Beauty services, fitness centers, medical services, restaurants and coffee shops are almost internet proof.
The recovery in the metrics on the ground do not lie.
Open-air shopping centers are the only major property type with accelerating rental rate growth.
Shopping centers are the most highly occupied of any major commercial property type.
A resurgence in new retail construction is a long way off.
The result?
Guided by our insights at the intersection of listed and private real estate, we believe that markets have yet to fully recognize this dynamic.
We believe, prices for open-air, necessity driven shopping centers have bottomed.
Strong demand is meeting very limited supply for highly occupied shopping centers strategically located in high-growth, high-income markets, anchored by leading retailers.
The Retail Renaissance has arrived.

Non-traded REITs: New fund structures improve fees, liquidity and transparency
November 2023 | 18 mins
NAV REITs now account for 99.9% of fundraising for NTRs as demand climbs

What we believe investors should know about Non-Traded REIT redemptions
December 2022 | 11 mins
Recent redemption limits placed on some notable Non-Traded REITs (NTRs) are generating headlines, but we believe there are several points investors may be missing. We do not think this reflects broad economic or systemic risk. Rather, this demonstrates how, as expected, listed real estate typically leads the private market in both selloffs and recoveries.
Read why we believe recent news that NTRs limited redemptions underscores the opportunity we see in listed real estate.
The views and opinions are as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that any forecast mentioned, or investment objective above will be realized.
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- We have a limited operating history, and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objectives.
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- We are a perpetual-life REIT. While we may consider a liquidity event at any time in the future, we are not obligated by our charter or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time.
- We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and, if we do, we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of or repayments under our assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds (including from sales of our common stock or Operating Partnership units to the Special Limited Partner (each term as defined in the prospectus), and distributions may also be funded at least in part, indirectly, due to expenses paid on our behalf by the Advisor pursuant to the Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement, which may be subject to reimbursement to the Advisor, and other temporary waivers or expense reimbursements to the Advisor or its affiliates, that may be subject to reimbursement to the Advisor or its affiliates. We have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources.
- The purchase and repurchase price for shares of our common stock are generally be based on our prior month’s net asset value (“NAV“) and are not based on any public trading market. While there will be independent valuations of our properties from time to time, the valuation of properties is inherently subjective and our NAV may not accurately reflect the actual price at which our properties could be liquidated on any given day.
- We have no employees and are dependent on the Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. (the “Adviser”) to conduct our operations. The Adviser will face conflicts of interest as a result of, among other things, the allocation of investment opportunities among us and other Cohen & Steers Accounts (as defined in CNSREIT’s prospectus), the allocation of time of its investment professionals and the fees that we will pay to the Adviser.
- Principal and interest payments on any borrowings will reduce the amount of funds available for distribution or investment in additional real estate assets.
- There are limits on the ownership and transferability of our shares.
- This is a “best efforts” offering. If we are not able to raise a substantial amount of capital in the near term, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be adversely affected.
- If we fail to qualify as a REIT and no relief provisions apply, our NAV and cash available for distribution to our stockholders could materially decrease.
- While our investment strategy is to invest in income-focused stabilized private real estate with a focus on providing current income to investors, there is no guarantee that we will achieve this strategy and an investment in us is not an investment in a fixed income instrument.
- The acquisition of investment properties may be financed in substantial part by borrowing, which increases our exposure to loss. The use of leverage involves a high degree of financial risk and will increase the exposure of the investments to adverse economic factors.
- Investing in commercial and other private real estate assets involves certain risks, including but not limited to: tenants’ inability to pay rent; increases in interest rates and lack of availability of financing; tenant turnover and vacancies; and changes in supply of or demand for similar properties in a given market.
- Substantial risks are involved in investing in real estate and real estate-related securities more generally. An unstable geopolitical climate and central bank policies could have a material adverse effect on general economic conditions, market conditions and liquidity. Additionally, a serious pandemic or natural disaster could severely disrupt global, national and/or regional economies, as experienced most recently after the March 2020 outbreak of COVID-19. Renewed outbreaks or the outbreak of new epidemics could result in health or other government authorities requiring the closure of offices or other businesses, including office buildings, retail stores and other commercial venues and could also result in a general economic decline.
Forward-Looking Statement Disclosure
This material contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “continues,” or other similar words or the negatives thereof. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and there are or may be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements. We believe these factors also include but are not limited to those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the CNSREIT prospectus. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this document (or CNSREIT’s public filings). Except as otherwise required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
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Select Images. The selected images of certain CNSREIT investments in this presentation are provided for illustrative purposes only, are not representative of all CNSREIT investments of a given property type and are not representative of CNSREIT’s entire portfolio. It should not be assumed that CNSREIT’s investment in the properties identified and discussed herein were or will be profitable. Please refer to www.cnsreit.com/properties for a complete list of CNSREIT’s real estate investments (excluding equity in public and private real estate related companies), including CNSREIT’s ownership interest in such investments.
Please refer to CNSREIT.com for a complete list of CNSREIT’s real estate investments (excluding investments in listed REIT equities).
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Publication date: September 2024. Copyright © Cohen & Steers, Inc. Cohen & Steers Securities, LLC 2024. All rights reserved.
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