The Week In News, But Shorter
January 5 – 11, 2026

A Weekly PropTech Newsletter bringing you industry updates from across the real estate spectrum

“Return-uary” is upon us–a unique shopping season in its own right. Fraught with challenges and opportunities alike, we saw several headlines dedicated to the topic this week. Ranging from the gig economy it has spurred, to how a major e-commerce return service provider is implementing AI to fight fraud. And while this month is mostly viewed as a headache, it also presents opportunities as foot traffic continues into the new year and retail tenants turn to property owners for ongoing support. Have you explored or addressed how your property can assist with returns, in January or in any month? While it might seem “out of your wheelhouse.” the truth is, it’s not and in fact it can be a differentiator. Not quite sure what we mean? Let’s chat!

Also this week, aside from a select few, department stores are looking at positive predictions in 2026. Traditional mall brands and open-air properties have high expectations for the year ahead as well. We’re over on LinkedIn keeping tabs on other predictions for the year ahead. Have you made yours yet? Tag us!

Digital Meets Physical

You Can Now Hire Someone to Return All Those Unwanted Gifts [The Wall Street Journal] ’Tis the season after the season—when gifts are unwrapped, budgets are blown and second thoughts sink in. Which has led to a mushrooming after-holiday market for gig workers and businesses willing to put in the time to go on a box-laden trek to return clients’ unwanted purchases to retailers.

Why the AI shopping agent wars will heat up in 2026 [ModernRetail] If 2025 was the year that companies laid the groundwork for agentic commerce, then 2026 will be the year retailers, tech giants and startups jockey to determine whose AI agent becomes the default interface for shopping — if consumers even adopt these AI agents en masse at all.

UPS’ Happy Returns pilots AI tool to halt decoy returns fraud [SupplyChainDive] The company’s Return Vision software compares returned products with images from the retailer, a capability being used by Everlane and others.

Most consumers interacted with AI customer service during holiday shopping [RetailDive] The lion’s share of consumers — 78% — say they interacted with AI or automation during their holiday shopping, whether through delivery notifications, return systems or virtual assistants.

Claire’s plans tech upgrades despite financial setbacks [RetailDive] Jewelry and accessories chain Claire’s is planning upgrades to its legacy systems in 2026, according to Malcolm Lamboy, executive director, chief enterprise architecture at Claire’s.

PropTalk

Dinosaurs No Longer? Department Stores Poised for Modest Gains in 2026 [WWD] With most of America’s department store chains now stabilized the outlook for 2026 appears to be good. The sector is positioned to replicate the modest growth it saw in 2025, which was attained organically rather than through expansion, and through improved inventory management, better product curation, and restrained discounting.

Figs is building more stores around its medical community [ModernRetail] Health-care apparel brand Figs is thinking close to home as it stitches together its store strategy, CEO and co-founder Trina Spear told Modern Retail. “It’s all about proximity to our people [and] to our community, and not just being in a major shopping destination,” she said.

The revenge of the ’90s mall brand [Glossy] The viral Katseye campaign from August, which has racked up more than 55 million views on YouTube, brings to mind the dance-centric ads that dominated Gap’s ‘90s heyday, when it was a staple of mall shopping culture.

Placer.ai: Thrift stores, discount retailers, open-air malls lead 2025 holiday season [Chain Store Age] Visits to retail and restaurant chains were both up year over year during the holiday season – despite lingering economic pressures. That’s according to the latest report which found that from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, visits to retail chains increased 2.8% compared to the same period in 2024, while dining chains saw a 1.6% increase in visits.

“In my business, bad is good”: Ivan Friedman and the business of saving mall leases [The Real Deal] Sales slow, costs mount and investors grumble and place blame on e-commerce, tariffs or a pandemic: Another retail chain is filing for bankruptcy. While creditors cross their fingers and lawyers go to court, landlords brace for missed payments. This is when Ivan Friedman’s phone rings.

Why Brands Are Flocking To New York, Los Angeles And Miami [Forbes] New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami now account for roughly 60% of notable retail expansion and more than 80% of luxury openings, according to JLL’s latest City Retail Report.