The Week In News, But Shorter
May 11 – 17, 2026

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

Greetings to all our readers opening your email today from Las Vegas for ICSC. We hope to see all of you while here.

We regularly discuss in these newsletters the opportunity property owners have to help their retail clients leverage unused space for fulfillment. We see retailers in the headlines all the time – including this week – turning their own spaces into fulfillment centers, along with data that this “trend” is expected to continue. Well, we’re thrilled to share (if you missed it on LinkedIn) that if you’re joining us at ICSC Las Vegas this week, you can hear us talk about this topic in-person too! Today at 2:45 p.m. our own David Blumenfeld will be on-stage with our partner Deborah Weinswing from Coresight Research and CoreRivet, along with some other really awesome leaders. Join us to hear our latest take.

Meanwhile, teens are helping bring foot traffic back to malls, but are now facing bans in some locations; smart bus stops come to a mall in Dubai and multi-use properties are helping colleges create revenue streams to pay players.

Digital Meets Physical

Amazon launches 30-minute delivery across the US [TechCrunch] Amazon deliveries keep getting faster. The online retailer announced the launch of its 30-minute delivery option, dubbed “Amazon Now,” in dozens of U.S. cities. This ultra-fast delivery option will allow customers to shop across “thousands” of items, Amazon says, including fresh groceries, household essentials, and other locally relevant items.

Tapestry obtains U.S. patent for enterprise AI tool [Chain Store Age] Tapestry Inc. has been awarded a U.S. patent for Mira, a proprietary AI platform designed to connect data across all areas of the company to enable rapid, enterprise-wide decision-making. The patent includes the core system architecture and marks Tapestry’s first AI patent and second technology patent overall.

Research: Traditional Marketing Doesn’t Work on AI Shopping Agents [Harvard Business Review] A growing share of shoppers are not human. They are AI agents researching, comparing, and increasingly purchasing on behalf of consumers. Recently, OpenAI has pushed ChatGPT deeper into product discovery and merchant apps; Google has launched a universal commerce protocol (UCP) to let AI agents transact across retailers; and Amazon has released tools that let its agents shop other retailers’ sites on customers’ behalf.

Private Equity-Backed Proptech Firm Cuts 200 Jobs, Cites AI Adoption [Propmodo] MRI Software, an Ohio-based real estate management software provider, has eliminated approximately 200 positions as part of what the company calls a global workforce reorganization. MRI attributed the cuts to advancing AI adoption across products and operations, stating the changes would improve scalability and responsiveness without a meaningful impact to overall headcount or client resources.

Convenience vs. Discovery: How AI-Powered Shopping will Impact Brick-and-Mortar Retail [Retail Touchpoints] Retailers will need to identify whether their stores serve a “convenience” or a “discovery” mission for shoppers as AI boosts customer product knowledge. The decision will affect everything from store design and layout to product assortment and workforce KPIs.

Domino’s franchisees AI-enable delivery vehicles for safety, efficiency [Chain Store Age] Five independent franchisees of Domino’s Pizza have equipped more than 1,000 delivery vehicles with a safety and performance AI solution. Rollout of the Netradyne artificial intelligence-based platform began with RPM Pizza, one of the largest U.S. Domino’s franchisees. Netradyne worked directly with RPM Pizza to develop FlexMount, a suction cup mounting option for its Driver-i D-215 dual-facing camera system.

PropTalk

Dubai opens first smart bus station at Mall of the Emirates [Gulf Business] Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched the emirate’s first smart bus station at Mall of the Emirates, introducing an AI-powered public transport hub designed to enhance customer experience, improve operational efficiency, and support Dubai’s wider smart mobility ambitions.

Simon Property Group drops effort to evict Saks Global stores behind in rent [RetailDive] Saks Global and Simon Property Group — its largest landlord — have resolved disputes over leases and other issues that have simmered since at least the start of the year and threatened to hold up progress in Saks Global’s Chapter 11.

Universities Build Revenue Streams Around Stadiums With Mixed-Use Developments [Propmodo] College athletic departments are increasingly turning the land around their stadiums into mixed-use districts, and the resulting projects are reshaping a meaningful slice of the commercial real estate landscape. Wake Forest’s 100-acre, $250 million development is one of roughly 20 active or planned projects across schools like Tennessee, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Kansas, and USF.

Retailers Are Making Expensive Bets That Shoppers Still Want to Go to Stores [The New York Times] Walmart, Target and Dollar General are among those investing in remodeling thousands of existing stores, even as shoppers take their dollars online.

Bob’s Discount Furniture opens first combo store-distribution center [SupplyChainDive] Bob’s Discount Furniture opened its first retail location combined with a distribution center outside of Cleveland, Ohio, as the company seeks to speed up its order fulfillment.

Teens Helped Bring Malls Back to Life. Now They’re Getting Banned. [The Wall Street Journal] Mall owners resort to banning anyone under 18 unaccompanied by adult, following waves of teen disruptions at their properties

Study: In-store online order fulfillment expected to rise [Chain Store Age] One-in-four online orders are now fulfilled through a physical store, a figure projected to rise to 35.4% by 2030. The firm noted that despite the rise of e-commerce, 85.1% of U.S. retail sales still flow through stores, with a majority (71%) retailers expanding their physical footprints in 2026.