The Week In News, But Shorter
April 6 – 12, 2026

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

We’ve noted many examples of retailers bringing AI into stores, and a ModernRetail article this week does a nice job rounding up some of those use cases, from kiosks and mobile shopping assistants to smart fitting rooms . While this is especially interesting for retailers as they think about where to invest, it’s equally interesting for mall and retail property owners in getting a sense of what technologies and resources you might want to provide tenants to be the best partner in their AI-future. Tenants will increasingly ask for robust connectivity, flexible floorplans for kiosks and experiential tech, and clear policies around data/privacy. It’s also important to take note of how customers are starting to interact with AI in physical retail so that mall operators can be prepared to make changes in some of their wayfinding, customer service or other consumer offerings. Have you seen successful tenant implementations or been asked for specific resources? Share your experience with us over on our LinkedIn page.

Also this week, one AI startup tries to solve the issue of online returns, while another tries to document everything (!?) for sale. We also got March foot traffic numbers, and caught up on some news from two major department stores.

Digital Meets Physical

Retailers are bringing AI into stores in more ways [ModernRetail] The application of artificial intelligence as a customer-facing element of physical stores is far from one-size-fits-all. In February, The Vitamin Shoppe opened an “innovation store” in New York City’s Upper East Side with a “Shoppe Advisor” touch screen. The AI-powered screen provides product information, wellness articles and videos, as well as information on in-store and online inventory.

Foot Locker partners with DoorDash for on-demand delivery [RetailDive] Foot Locker has partnered with DoorDash, allowing customers to purchase footwear, apparel and accessories through the DoorDash app. Through the partnership, products from Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports are now available on the DoorDash Marketplace.

DoorDash brings Wing drone delivery to new market [Chain Store Age] The on-demand delivery platform is introducing drone delivery to metro Atlanta. Eligible DoorDash customers near Tanger Outlets Locust Grove can order from a selection of local and national restaurants and choose to have their items delivered by drone in as little as 20 minutes.

‘Silent killers’: How AI start-ups are trying to solve one of the retail industry’s biggest problems [CNBC] A growing number of AI start-ups have emerged to provide virtual try-on technology, allowing potential customers to visualize fit and style before they buy. Online returns are a multibillion-dollar problem for the industry that’s eating directly into companies’ margins.

One Company’s Effort to Make an AI-Ready Catalog of Everything We Buy [The Wall Street Journal] In a warehouse bigger than two football fields, digital cameras rotate around vitamin bottles, strollers and washing-machine pods as manicurists, hand models and former theater directors work to build what they hope is a digital catalog for retail’s AI future.

Online baby registry giant Babylist to open NYC showroom [Chain Store Age] Babylist will open a 20,000-sq.-.ft. showroom in New York City. Expected to open in late summer, the space is being designed as an experiential destination where customers can check out baby gear in person, build their registries with the guidance of registry consultant and attend educational classes.

PropTalk

Nordstrom Local Expands in California [WWD] Nordstrom is opening two Nordstrom Local service hubs in San Diego and Danville, bringing the total number of units in the format to nine and expanding the retailer’s presence in California.

As millions lose weight on GLP-1s, they’re starting to turn to retailers to refresh their wardrobes [CNBC] As GLP-1 drugs become more accessible, more U.S. consumers are dropping sizes and may buy new clothes. Apparel retailers could see an up to $13 billion annual boost in spending because of GLP-1 drugs.

Ulta doubled store fulfillment capabilities in 2025 [Supply Chain Dive] Ulta Beauty doubled the number of U.S. stores that fulfill e-commerce orders in fiscal year 2025. Over 1,000 of the beauty retailer’s U.S. stores fulfill such online orders as part of its ship-from-store program, according to an annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. That compares to about 500 stores in the ship-from-store program at the end of fiscal year 2024.

Placer.ai: Indoor, outlet malls see visits drop in March [Chain Store Age] Indoor malls saw a slight year-over-year decline in visits of 1.1%, while outlet malls experienced a steeper drop of 4.1% compared to March 2025. Open-air shopping centers were the only to maintain growth.

Driving Bloomingdale’s Through Curation, Innovation and Experimentation [WWD] Few retailers have been as aggressive as Bloomingdale’s in launching new formats for growth. Bloomie’s, the contemporary-oriented, scaled-down version of the Bloomingdale’s department stores, opened its first door in August 2021. Bloomingdale’s marketplace launched in September 2022.

Retail space construction down year over year in Q1 [Chain Store Age] New data from CoStar found that in the first quarter of 2026, roughly 64.2 million square feet of retail space was under construction in the U.S., down from approximately 70 million square feet a year earlier. The first quarter total was also well below the 10-year average.