As 2025 draws to a close, the placemaking and retail real estate industries enter 2026 with a renewed sense of clarity, as shown in the final ACROSS Retail Talk of the year.
Customer-centricity has become a tiring buzzword, but for the placemaking leaders the customer is not only the visitor, but also the tenant and the investor. Serving all three stakeholders better – through data, transparency, service, and partnership – is the key to future success. This layered understanding changes everything – from leasing strategy to asset refurbishment priorities.
Understanding AI, Data & Tech as Powerful Tools
2026 will not be the year of experimental innovation, but of scalable, proven technological deployment, with maturing AI solutions becoming ubiquitous. AI is moving from theory to application and becoming a business-critical, cost-saving tool. Nothing to be afraid of.
The latest technology assists this evolution: Predictive maintenance, automated leasing workflows, and highly targeted marketing have become available at reasonable cost.
Energy optimization is one part of that game – driven partly by regulatory pressure, but increasingly by economics. Some centers can achieve energy savings of up to 80%, underscoring why energy discipline is now viewed as a strategic imperative with clear implications for both tenants and investors.
Smart-building management systems, renewable energy solutions, and transparent reporting are quickly becoming standards of credibility in placemaking.
Destination Building Gains Momentum
The future of retail is also viewed as hybrid, not digital-first. Simply because post-pandemic shopping places have proven to matter because they create connection. Consumer behavior confirms that people crave social interaction, communal spaces, and emotional resonance.
As a result, shopping destinations are evolving. Food and beverage concepts, entertainment formats, local culture, and event programming are taking precedence over traditional retail-only layouts.
Outlets in particular – once reliant on pure price advantage – are transforming into destination ecosystems featuring gastronomy, leisure, and tourism partnerships. The lesson learned is: Customers must have good reasons to get into the car and drive there. And that means more than just a discounted price tag.
Capital Outlook: Opportunity for the Prepared
With interest rates stabilizing and valuations still adjusting, 2026 could become an attractive acquisition year. Capital-strong players – like NEPI, FREY/ROS and Sonae Sierra – are positioning for selective buys, extensions, and redevelopment of underperforming assets.
However, experts warn that discipline will override opportunism. Only assets with robust fundamentals, dense catchment areas, or clear tourism synergies are likely to warrant investment.
Conclusion: A Mature, Confident, Human-Centered 2026
The placemaking industry enters 2026 with grounded optimism. After years of volatility, the sector is more agile, more technologically capable, and more attuned to human needs than ever before. Physical retail continues to evolve – not toward obsolescence, but toward greater relevance.
The message from the ACROSS Retail Talk is clear: Retail in 2026 will be defined not by the quantity of space, but by the quality of value created within it.
