The Week In News, But Shorter
July 7 – 13, 2025

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

Coming off of Prime week, predicted to be “the equivalent of two Black Fridays,” it’s really incredible to see so many headlines this week also focused on the importance of, and investment in, in-person retail. We’ve been hitting on this a lot recently, but it’s truly a drum beat for us – everytime it starts to seem like digital and technical are the end all, be all, physical retail and in-store experiences prove themselves yet again. Headlines this week touched on coffee bars in furniture showrooms, play zones in apparel stores, and beauty services that blend commerce with care. And what is standing out for us in all of this is the connection to emotion, community, and play – something that an in-store experience can uniquely provide. As always, we’re here to help you think through how to bring emotion, community and play to your properties, but we’re also just here to share the good headlines when we see them and help you stay ahead of what’s next.

Also this week, our friends at Coresight Research released their back-to-school predictions (hard to believe it’s so close already!), and we saw more reports about how retail is investing in AI, and some successful case studies. Let’s keep the happy headline sharing going – find us over on LinkedIn.

Digital Meets Physical

Retail accelerates investments in generative AI [RetailDive] Over half (56%) of retail organizations have upped their generative AI investments compared to last year, according to a report by Capgemini. Retail is among the top five industries most advanced in adopting AI agents, with 18% having implemented AI agents or multiagent systems, according to the report.

As Champs reimagines stores, mall convenience meets e-commerce perks [RetailDive] When Champs Sports began researching what customers wanted out of its stores, it discovered a simple truth: customers prefer to shop in malls. The sports apparel retailer also learned that they want a bright and inviting environment as well as a flexible shopping experience that lets them explore in-store and digital options with minimal friction.

How AI is driving more online sales for Kendra Scott [ModernRetail] These days, the vast majority of questions from Kendra Scott’s online shoppers are solved by generative artificial intelligence. The “AI Copilot,” located at the bottom of the screen on desktop or mobile, answers roughly 93% of customer inquiries, a 53% increase from a previous version the jewelry brand was using in 2024.

Online summer sales expected to be the equivalent of ‘two Black Fridays’ [RetailDive] Surrounding Amazon’s Prime Day shopping event, online spending is expected to reach $23.8 billion across U.S. retailers from Tuesday to Friday, according to an Adobe forecast. The anticipated performance would represent a 28.4% increase year over year when compared to July 16 through July 19 in 2024.

US back-to-school shopping expected to reach over $33B [RetailDive] Back-to-school spending among U.S. consumers is expected to rise 3.3% year over year to $33.3 billion, a new Coresight Research report estimates. More than two-thirds (68.8%) of respondents to Coresight’s survey said inflation will limit their spending on back-to-school items this year.

PropTalk

Stores remain dominant, even as digital, AI shopping grows [CXDive] Stores are still the most popular channel to shop even as digital sales take on a growing percentage of overall retail sales, according to EY research. Offline retail spend accounts for 77% in 2025 but is expected to drop to 73% by 2028.

CBL Properties, Nearly 4 Years Since Exiting Bankruptcy, Finding Buyers For Its Malls [BisNow] It’s been a tough decade for mall owners: First there was the so-called retail apocalypse, then the pandemic, then the tide of rising interest rates. Stephen Lebovitz, the CEO of CBL & Associates Properties, led the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based mall REIT through it all, including a bankruptcy in 2020. He remembers taking calls from panicked CEOs who couldn’t open stores and paying his company’s bills.

How Retail Brands Are Bringing Play To The In-Store Experience [Forbes] From the skateboard ramp that dominates the Vans store in London’s West End to Glossier’s selfie room in its eye-catching SoHo, New York City flagship store, there’s a growing trend in retail: stores that create a sense of play for shoppers of all ages.

Placer.ai: Mall traffic dips in June, half-year traffic mostly positive [Chain Store Age] Mall traffic declined across the board in June as consumers reined in spending. That’s according to the Placer.ai June 2025 Mall Index, which showed that shopping center traffic fell slightly following two straight months of year-over-year visit growth in April and May.

More retailers are opening coffee shops to appeal to customers who may not want to spend the big bucks—but still want a cup of joe [Fortune] The phenomenon of retailers hosting coffee shops isn’t exactly new, as anyone who’s ever been to a Starbucks inside of a Target can tell you. But the number of brand-owned and -operated coffee shops seems to be creeping up.

Chuck E. Cheese launches new arcade concept for adults in 10 malls [Chain Store Age] Chuck E. Cheese has debuted a spin-off entertainment concept for adults who still love to play games. The company has launched Chuck’s Arcade, which combines a rotating mix of retro classics with the hottest new titles, including state-of-the-art racing simulators and immersive virtual reality hits.

Warby Parker retail and experience chief talks store expansion [Chain Store Age] Warby Parker has reached a brick-and-mortar milestone. The eyewear brand opened its 300th retail store on July 5 with a new location at the Brookfield Place mixed-use shopping center and office building in lower Manhattan, not far from where the company opened its first store more than a decade ago.

Ulta Strategies: How Ulta is leveraging its longtime salon business to boost sales through brand partnerships [Glossy] Ulta Beauty is leveraging its longtime salon business to increase customer visits and boost sales through partnerships with brands like Cécred, Olaplex and Benefit.