The Week In News, But Shorter
October 13 – 19, 2025

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

Faithful readers of this newsletter may recall that we’ve covered plenty of creative ways to breathe new life into retail properties — from wave parks to Netflix House and everything in between. But there is something to be said for the less exciting, more practical potential of office space as well. An article this week in Commercial Property Observer highlighted this once “last ditch” strategy as one now attracting serious investor interest as demand grows for flexible, experience-rich workplaces. Large-format retail sites offer exactly what modern offices need – spacious layouts and accessible locations. Having worked for a company that once operated offices inside a mall, we can vouch that this approach truly has merit. Could your property be next?

ChatGPT treads further into retail waters this week with new partnerships, while AI and IoT make old tools new again. Lastly, holiday predictions and guidance continue to roll in, now paired with return predictions as well as we look beyond holiday season to return-uary. Did you catch on our LinkedIn page that we were just in Dubai for a conference? Where should we head next?

Digital Meets Physical

Is Mobile Underrated or Overrated as a Holiday Shopping Driver? [RetailWire] Mobile devices are expected to continue to cement their position as the dominant holiday online shopping platform this season. Adobe predicts mobile sales will drive 56.1% of online spend (vs. desktop shopping) during the 2025 holiday season, up from 54.5% last year — and just 40% of online spend during the 2020 holiday season.

Walmart says customers will soon be able to use ChatGPT to shop [NBC News] ChatGPT is teaming with Walmart. The country’s largest retailer announced a new partnership Tuesday with OpenAI, aimed at helping shoppers make purchases using the tech startup’s chatbot app.

Instacart, Uber, DoorDash bringing food delivery to ChatGPT [GroceryDive] Uber, Instacart, Target and DoorDash are among 11 partners that will integrate with ChatGPT later this year. The partnerships come on the heels of OpenAI’s introduction of apps that people can “chat” with when using ChatGPT.

Walmart deploys millions of new sensors in retail’s first large-scale deployment of IoT tech [CNBC] Walmart is deploying millions of ambient Internet of Things battery-free sensors throughout its U.S. supply chain with a plan to reach 4,600 locations by the end of 2026. Walmart will know in real time exactly where merchandise is located across Walmart Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, more than 40 distribution centers.

Google expands virtual try-on to shoes [RetailDive] Google’s virtual try-on tool now allows shoppers to try on shoes. The new shoe try-on feature uses “state-of-the-art AI” to understand shapes and depths as well as preview how shoes will look on users’ feet.

The Body Shop returns to U.S. – in digital form [Chain Store Age] The Body Shop, which filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and ceased operations in the U.S. in March 2024, is relaunching in the U.S. with a digital-first approach, offering customers access to its product portfolio through a dedicated online store and a digital storefront on Amazon.

PropTalk

The Rise of Retail-to-Office Conversions [Commercial Property Executive] Once viewed as a last resort for struggling assets, retail-to-office conversions are emerging as a creative fix for two of commercial real estate’s most pressing challenges: stubborn retail vacancies and rising demand for flexible, creative work environments.

Recently purchased Maryland mall to open 300,000 sq. ft. of new tenants [Chain Store Age] New owners Atlas Hill RE and Centennial have wasted no time in their turnaround of Annapolis Mall, Maryland’s second largest. The two companies and their partners, Lincoln Property Company and Waterfall Asset Management, have announced the signing of 300,000 sq. ft. of new leases at the property that they acquired a year ago.

Boot Barn prioritizes in-store events in effort to ride the continued popularity of cowboycore [ModernRetail] Encouraged by soaring sales and a sustained interest in Western apparel, Boot Barn is bumping up its store events to attract even more customers. Many of these events involve Boot Barn’s celebrity partners or ambassadors.

Major shopping center opens at former site of N.J.’s 1st highway cloverleaf [NJ.com] The historic location of New Jersey’s first highway cloverleaf interchange has been transformed into a new shopping center anchored by a Sprouts Farmers Market.

Why holiday season store experiences should be helpful but unobtrusive [RetailDive] The massive crowds and doorbuster sales can make stores seem like the center of the world during the holiday season, but in truth, retailers are just facilitating someone else’s main event. “It’s more about helping the customer achieve their own holiday objectives.”

AI Is Turning Forgotten WiFi Networks Into Building Intelligence [Propmodo] Most commercial buildings treat WiFi like plumbing: it’s installed, tested, and then forgotten about until something breaks. For many owners, it’s a line item under “tenant amenities,” not a strategic asset. But that complacency is changing fast.

Baby boomers still love their department stores. Here’s what they know that Gen Zers don’t [CNBC] Department store shopping may be falling out of style with today’s younger consumers, but there’s a reason older generations keep coming back. Whether it’s more generous return policies, promotional events or deep discounts, in-store shopping has plenty of perks.

NRF Forecasts Nearly $850 Billion in Returns in 2025, Slight Decrease from 2024 [Retail Touchpoints] The National Retail Federation (NRF) is forecasting a 15.8% return rate in 2025, totaling $849.9 billion, according to the 2025 Retail Returns Landscape report created in partnership with Happy Returns. This represents a slight decrease from the 2024 return rate of 16.9% and $890 billion in sales of products that were eventually sent back by customers.