**Retail Experts: Brick-and-Mortar Regains Favor Among Consumers and Investors**
A full room of industry professionals gathered at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles for Connect Retail West 2025, a one-day event featuring expert panels focused on the evolving retail commercial real estate (CRE) landscape.
The event opened with a lively discussion titled *A View from the Top: Shaping Retail CRE on the West Coast*. Moderated by Alex J. Caruso of Cox Castle and featuring Jim Dillavou (Paragon Commercial Group), Joseph Miller (Runyon Group), Andrew Turf (Newmark), and Kevork Zoryan (Arselle Investments), the panelists delivered a confident message: after over a decade of disruption, brick-and-mortar retail is stabilizing and regaining attraction among consumers and investors.
Drawing from diverse perspectives—including boutique placemaking, institutional investment, grocery-anchored developments, and high-street retail—the panel highlighted Southern California as both a bellwether and a battleground for the future of U.S. retail.
The conversation continued with the second panel, *Retail Leasing Trends: Unblocking Value in a Shifting Market*. Experts from Matthews, Simon Property Group, KWP Real Estate, and architecture firm RDC provided an insightful and often optimistic view of the Western U.S. retail market. Discussions centered on the impact of shifting consumer preferences, the rise of experiential and lifestyle tenants, and how landlords must reinvest to remain competitive.
Michael Pakaravan of Matthews noted the increasing demand for coffee shops and boutique fitness, symbolic of consumers’ desire for connection after years of pandemic-induced isolation. Entertainment and wellness concepts are drawing more traffic and encouraging longer shopping experiences, edging out traditional retailers.
The third session, *Getting Deals Across the Finish Line*, moderated by Shaunt M. Kodaverdian, featured Cody Charfauros (Slatt Capital), David Chasin (Pegasus), and Shauna Smith (Chicago Title). This panel addressed financing and deal structuring, concluding that retail real estate transactions have surged back in 2025, matching pre-pandemic levels last seen in 2019.
Rounding out the event, the final panel, *Navigating Supply Chain Disruptions and Uncertainty*, included Jacqueline M. Moore (Pacific Merchant Shipping Association) and Erin Poulson Morris (Wonderful Real Estate). The discussion explored how ongoing supply chain challenges, trade route shifts, tariffs, and global political dynamics are reshaping strategies for retail location and logistics planning.
Across all panels, the prevailing sentiment was clear—brick-and-mortar retail is witnessing a powerful comeback. Investors and retailers alike are embracing the evolving landscape with an eye toward innovation, experience, and renewed consumer engagement.
