What did Adam and Chris get right about retail in 2024?

Back in 2024, Chris Ressa sat down with DLC CEO Adam Ifshin in Las Vegas ahead of ICSC to talk about a retail market that was already showing unusual strength. Looking back from 2026, that conversation reads less like commentary and more like an early signal of where open-air retail was headed.

At the time, Adam laid out a clear case: open-air retail fundamentals were outperforming the broader narrative. Traffic, sales, occupancy, and rent had all moved above pre-pandemic levels, even while capital markets remained strained. That disconnect was the core tension then, and it remains one of the most important dynamics to understand now.

What stands out even more in hindsight is how early DLC was in identifying the structural forces behind that strength. Chris and Adam discussed years of underbuilding, limited new supply, rising construction costs, and the steady removal of retail space for other uses like apartments, healthcare, and self-storage. In 2026, those pressures have not disappeared. If anything, they have become harder to ignore.

The conversation also reinforced two themes that have continued to shape the market: the durability of value retail and the strength of suburban, secondary, and exurban demand. Long before those ideas became consensus views, DLC was investing around them. Looking back, the logic still holds. Consumers continue to prioritize value, retailers continue to chase the right space, and owners continue to operate in a market where quality supply is limited.

This conversation matters now because it captures a moment when disciplined operators were already seeing what others were still debating. For retail real estate professionals, investors, and retailers trying to understand how we got here, this is a sharp look at the thinking that helped define the last two years of the market.

What You’ll Hear

Open-air retail fundamentals are still too good to ignore - How traffic, sales, occupancy, and rent have all moved past pre-pandemic highs, reinforcing the strength of the sector.
Capital markets diverged from fundamentals - How rising interest rates and tighter credit created volatility in financing even while retail performance strengthened.
Strong fundamentals matter more than cheap capital - Why disciplined operators prefer a market with solid demand and constrained capital rather than easy money and weak assets.
Supply constraints are reshaping retail - How 15 years of underbuilding, rising construction costs, and redevelopment have reduced available retail space.
Value is always in fashion - How retailers like Walmart, TJX, and other value-focused brands continue to win with consumers across income levels.
Suburban and secondary markets are gaining momentum - How migration, affordability, and remote work have pushed growth beyond major urban centers.
Retailers are expanding into smaller markets - How shifting demographics and income growth have opened new opportunities for national tenants.
Smart retailers move early on space - How limited supply is pushing tenants to secure locations now before rents climb further.

Chapters

00:00 — Live from Las Vegas, before the market fully caught up

Chris opens the conversation with Adam Ifshin from ICSC week in Vegas.

01:55 — Why DLC published “Too good to ignore”

Adam explains the thinking behind DLC’s 2024 white paper and why the timing mattered.

02:35 — The fundamentals were already telling a different story

Traffic, sales, occupancy, and rent had all pushed past pre-pandemic highs.

04:45 — The big disconnect: strong assets, stressed capital markets

Adam breaks down why financing conditions were not reflecting what operators were seeing on the ground.

08:57 — Why strong fundamentals beat cheap capital

Chris asks which environment matters more, and Adam makes the case for discipline over easy money.

12:05 — Could outside capital really move into retail?

They discuss whether groups from other asset classes could compete in open-air retail.

15:34 — Rates, cap rates, and timing the market

Adam explains why buying into strong fundamentals matters more than waiting for perfect conditions.

17:41 — What constrained supply really meant long term

Chris and Adam talk through the deeper implications of limited space and rising retailer demand.

20:54 — Why new development was still far from a real answer

Adam outlines why replacement cost and labor constraints were holding back new retail construction.

25:50 — Why value retail was never just a trend

Adam explains why value has always been central to DLC’s view of the consumer.

31:54 — The consumer story behind the retail story

Adam makes the connection between consumer health, policy, and retail real estate performance.

33:43 — Why suburban and smaller markets were gaining strength

Demographic shifts, remote work, and affordability made these markets more compelling.

42:52 — What smart retailers were expected to do next

Adam lays out why decisive tenants would move early as the supply-demand imbalance continued.

Retail Retold Replay: Why Retail Real Estate Is STILL "Too Good to Ignore"