Washington, DC’s retail sector is experiencing a robust rebound, with 259 new establishments revitalizing the city since 2022. According to recent research published by JLL, this surge of openings far outpaced closures at 118. The city’s retail sales are also outpacing the national average with year-over-year growth of 7%, exceeding US averages by 200 basis points.
Restaurants and bars dominate the new openings in Washington DC at 74%. Georgetown stands out as a particularly strong hotspot for retailers; 16 apparel and accessory stores chose it for their launch while achieving net gains of 59 retailers – just four closures and 13 upcoming openings.
The entertainment retail sector is also thriving in DC with 12 new concepts emerging including competitive socializing venues like Kraken Courts or Puttery, e-sports spaces such as District-E and creative pop ups like The Office Experience providing further evidence that Washington’s economy is on an upward trajectory despite challenges posed by COVID 19 pandemic restrictions over 2020/21 period .
