The Week In News, But Shorter
December 8 – 14, 2025

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

Modern Retail had a good reality check this week: lots of retailers want AI to help pick the “perfect” next store location, but today’s models and datasets still struggle to reliably predict which sites will actually be the most profitable. For mall owners and operators, two takeaways stand out. One, the data you already sit on, and how clean and connected it is, can meaningfully shape how useful AI is for your tenants. Two, and maybe more important, local context still wins. You know your trade area, your community, and your tenant mix better than any model. Strong data intelligence matters, but the human layer is still a big part of getting site decisions right.

The holiday shopping finish line is nearly in sight, and stories about AI and technology’s role this year are still in the headlines. As we inch ever closer to 2026, end of year wrap-ups are starting to show up, as are predictions for the year ahead. What are you celebrating from 2025, or predicting for 2026? Let us know over on LinkedIn!

Digital Meets Physical

How AI is disrupting shopping [The Economist] The time of year has come again when gift-givers trudge around shops and scroll endlessly through e-commerce websites to find suitable Christmas presents for their loved ones. Some will enjoy browsing. But many will not. A growing number will happily outsource much of the process to artificial intelligence (AI).

Will Amazon and Walmart’s push for 30-minute delivery actually pay off? We debate. [Business Insider] Amazon and Walmart are racing to see who can get stuff to shoppers’ doorsteps the fastest. Other companies have attempted to offer ultrafast delivery in the past, with limited success. Business Insider retail reporters Dominick Reuter and Alex Bitter debate the push for 30-minute delivery.

With search and social visibility shrinking, Aritzia’s 1 million app downloads signal a pivot [Glossy] Aritzia’s launch of an app has quickly become one of the most influential digital moves the retailer has made. The app is already reshaping how the company gathers insights and communicates with its customer community, which increasingly oscillates between inspiration and shopping.

Amazon’s Just Walk Out Tech Poised to Break into a Run [Retail Touchpoints] The Just Walk Out (JWO) cashierless retailing solution from Amazon has faced hurdles since it was first introduced nearly a decade ago, but recently it has been racking up some impressive wins. It now appears that a key turning point in this journey was Amazon’s March 2020 decision to offer the technology to other retailers.

Ashley offers AI-powered shopping experience [RetailDive] Furniture company Ashley is allowing shoppers to buy products directly through AI-powered search engine Perplexity and pay with PayPal, the retailer announced last Wednesday. Shoppers can request product recommendations, view curated options, add items to their cart and complete a payment transaction in one continuous conversation.

PropTalk

Retailers want AI to tell them where to put new locations. The tech isn’t there yet [ModernRetail] There is, however, one area in which retailers have been underwhelmed by AI as a predictive tool. It’s real estate, executives at major brokerage firms that represent some of the nation’s biggest retailers told Modern Retail. They said their retailer clients are looking to AI to predict which locations will be more profitable, but that the technology and underlying datasets aren’t yet capable of doing so.

Netflix transforms former mall department stores into experiential venues [ModernRetail] About two years ago, Trademark Property Co. CEO Terry Montesi heard from a national real estate broker that there was a big, secret tenant interested in Galleria Dallas, which his firm operates. He eventually found out that it was not a typical retail tenant: It was Netflix.

5 store concepts that debuted in 2025 [RetailDive] To connect with shoppers and reach new customers, retailers have been increasingly launching store concepts, aiming to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Universal Music Group expands global portfolio of retail stores for superfans [MusicBusiness Worldwide] Universal Music Group is expanding its global portfolio of brick-and-mortar retail spaces that cater to superfans. The company launched its flagship store in Tokyo’s Harajuku district in 2023, followed by its second physical retail location globally in July with the UMusic Shop inside its own UMusic Hotel in Madrid.

Hudson Yards Remakes Its Retail Mix [WWD] It’s been seven years since The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards had its grand opening, leases are turning, and Odyssey Retail Advisors was hired to help fine-tune the lineup.

Youth Sports Are Becoming Real Estate’s New Placemaking Engine [Propmodo] Youth sports used to mean a couple of fields at the edge of town and a full Waffle House on tournament weekends. Now, in markets across the country, kids’ tournaments are acting more like mini Super Bowls. For developers, youth sports are no longer just a programming line item. They are becoming the anchor for full-scale placemaking.

Oklahoma City’s Oak mixed-use center files suit against Simon [Chain Store Age] A new mixed-use project in Oklahoma City is charging that the nation’s biggest mall owner has been engaging in illegal activities to dissuade top brands from joining its tenant roster.