PropTech Newsletter: The Week In News, But Shorter

The Week In News, But Shorter
January 27 – February 2, 2025

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

In case you missed it, ICSC recently published a Q&A with our very own David Blumenfeld, along with Deborah Weinswig, CEO of Coresight Research, about our partnership, CoreRivet. In the article we get into more specific examples of how our services complement each other, and give a peek into some of the trends we’re tracking; retail media, consumer packaging, and AI (of course.) We also get into what makes this such a powerful partnership: our deep knowledge and longtime expertise. We don’t mince words, what would take other consultancies 6 months could take us 6 to 12 weeks. Interested to learn more?Get in touch on our new website, or on LinkedIn.

In other news this week, we found that tech is helping retailers better predict trends, while AI is helping mall properties be more energy efficient, and drones are preparing for takeoff in the U.K.

Digital Meets Physical

CVS launches app that lets shoppers access locked-up merchandise [RetailDive] CVS Health introduced a mobile app that allows shoppers in a handful of stores to unlock secured display cabinets to access merchandise. The feature is a test for now.

AI’s retail takeover: How this one technology is shaping the future of shopping [Fortune] There was a time when retail and technology meant separate conversations, as if the two were mutually exclusive. Technology meant the IT department kept the lights on and ensured that point-of-sale data was successfully received from the stores and processed. And tech innovation equated to deploying a data warehouse.

Another Amazon Go will close next month [RetailDive] Amazon will shutter its Amazon Go convenience store in Woodland Hills, California. Amazon has shuttered roughly half of its Amazon Go stores over the past three years as the e-commerce company has struggled to build and maintain its brick-and-mortar presence.

Introducing the New Tech 25 for ’25: Retail-Tech Companies To Watch [Coresight Research] We’re excited to introduce the newest version of the Coresight Research Tech 25, a curated list spotlighting 25 public companies that are driving innovation and redefining the future of retail technology.

How Tech Helped Levi’s Ride the ‘Baggy Jeans’ Trend [The Wall Street Journal] Levi Strauss & Co., making jeans since the 1850s, intuitively knew the baggy fit would catch on with younger shoppers, new to its dungarees. But it took technology to help the company see the roomier fit also would catch on with everyone else.

Amazon preparing for initial U.K. drone deliveries [Chain Store Age] Amazon is getting closer to takeoff for Prime Air drone delivery flights in the U.K. The e-tail giant, which has been offering drone deliveries of orders in select U.S. markets since 2022, is taking steps to start planning for initial flights from its fulfillment center in the U.K. city of Darlington.

PropTalk

CoreRivet Uses Coresight Research to Help NextRivet Put Tech in Place for Retailers and Landlords [ICSC] Coresight Research and NextRivet spent a year testing out a scenario blending their expertise to help retailers and shopping center and mixed-use landlords grow sales, make operations more efficient and increase customer engagement? This month, the research consultancy and the proptech consultancy launched CoreRivet to combine Coresight’s research and NextRivet’s implementation in an end-to-end solution.

Gen Z still prefers in-person shopping [RetailDive] Gen Z is still showing a preference for shopping in person despite its digital upbringing. Almost three-quarters of Gen Z shop in-person at least once a week and the majority consider it an experience. Shoppers across all generations report spending more in-store compared to online, the survey found.

NRF Big Show 2025 in Review: AI Dominates, But Brick-and-Mortar Retail Is Evolving [RetailWire] Many panelists took the time to emphasize the continuing importance of innovation and operational standards in the physical retail business, despite the constant beat of the GenAI and agentic AI drum.This was a narrative boosted by Frank Margolis, executive director of growth marketing and business development at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions.

Walgreens to increase stores serviced by micro-fulfillment centers [Supply Chain Dive] Walgreens plans to increase the number of stores serviced by its micro-fulfillment centers, growing the number “closer to 6,000” in the next 12 months The company had previously paused the rollout of new centers to optimize productivity and focus on improving operations at existing facilities.

Exergio Gives Shopping Malls Energy-Efficient Makeovers With AI [TriplePundit] As massive buildings with heat, air conditioning, lighting, and other equipment running around the clock, shopping malls are some of the largest energy consumers. Exergio, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform created by a Lithuania-based company of the same name, is demonstrating how integrating AI-driven solutions into existing systems can help European shopping malls reduce energy waste.

Survey: Department store leaders eye store expansion in 2025 [Chain Store Age] Despite the recent spate of store closings, a majority of department store leaders are looking to expand their physical store presence in the new year. That’s according to a new survey from B2B wholesale platform NuOrder by Lightspeed, which revealed that more than six-in-10 (62%) of high-level retail directors said they plan to open new storefronts in the next 12 months.