Staying Focused on the Consumer, Retail, and Real Estate Performance

Each week, this wrap-up is meant to cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters for retail property owners, landlords, and investors.

The goal isn’t prediction.
It’s context.

Here’s what stood out this week — and why it matters.

The White House recently issued an executive order aimed at limiting large institutional investors from buying single-family homes that would otherwise be available to owner-occupants, especially first-time buyers.

While institutional investors own only about 3% of single-family rental homes nationally, their buying power is often concentrated in specific markets, where they can crowd out families and push prices higher. The administration’s goal is to ease affordability pressures, stabilize housing costs, and support long-term household wealth building.

For retail real estate, housing affordability matters more than many realize. When households feel less squeezed by housing costs, discretionary spending, mobility, and neighborhood stability tend to improve.

🔗 White House summary:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/stopping-wall-street-from-competing-with-main-street-homebuyers/

Bank of America’s latest small business transaction data paints a mixed but encouraging picture.

Small business profits were higher in 2025 than in 2024, with profitability improving at the fastest pace in three years by October. However, rising costs — particularly wages and tariffs — began to pressure margins late in the year.

One positive signal: hiring picked up toward the end of 2025, especially among small retailers. Payments to hiring firms were up roughly 7% versus 2024 averages. Since small businesses employ nearly half of the U.S. workforce, this matters for job stability and consumer confidence.

The mood on Main Street is improving — but owners will need to remain disciplined as costs remain elevated.

🔗 Bank of America Small Business Checkpoint:
https://institute.bankofamerica.com/economic-insights/small-business-checkpoint-january-2026.html

Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows consumers continue to spend, even as savings shrink.

Disposable income barely kept pace with inflation late last year, with both rising about 0.4% in October and November. The PCE inflation gauge now sits around 2.8% year over year — closer to what policymakers consider “normal.”

Despite that, personal spending rose 0.5% for two consecutive months heading into the holidays. The tradeoff has been savings: the personal saving rate has fallen to roughly 3.5%, well below pre-pandemic levels above 7%.

The takeaway is important: the consumer is still supporting economic growth — but with much less cushion. Spending continues, but households are managing carefully.

🔗 BEA Personal Income & Outlays:
https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/personal-income-and-outlays-october-and-november-2025

Layoffs remain historically low.

According to the Department of Labor, initial unemployment claims are hovering around 200,000, and the four-week average is at its lowest level in two years. Despite concerns around policy uncertainty and automation, companies are not laying off workers in large numbers.

Employers still have leverage in hiring, but everyday workers continue to enjoy relatively solid job security.

🔗 U.S. Department of Labor data:
https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf

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Retailers are seeing more resistance from consumers when it comes to big-ticket discretionary purchases.

According to Retail Dive, shoppers are pulling back on higher-priced items like furniture and electronics, while everyday needs and smaller-ticket purchases are holding up better.

For retail real estate, this reinforces the importance of visit frequency over aspirational retail. Centers anchored by food, services, value, and daily needs are proving more durable.

🔗 Retail Dive article:
https://www.retaildive.com/news/cautious-consumers-discretionary-spending-big-ticket-items-2025/810098/

Online grocery sales jumped 32% in December, according to Chain Store Age.

This isn’t a sign of physical grocery weakening — it’s a sign that grocery has become fully omnichannel. Pickup, delivery, and in-store shopping are now part of the same ecosystem.

For strip center owners, grocery remains one of the strongest traffic drivers available — but convenience, access, parking, and layout matter more than ever.

🔗 Chain Store Age article:
https://chainstoreage.com/online-grocery-sales-surge-32-december

The recent U.S. deal involving TikTok is notable not just politically, but commercially.

TikTok has become a major retail discovery and sales channel, driving billions of dollars in retail sales across categories like beauty, apparel, food, and impulse purchases.

Digital discovery increasingly drives physical demand. Retailers that win online still need physical locations — but only in markets that convert attention into sales.

🔗 CNN coverage:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/22/tech/tiktok-us-deal-closes

A common belief I see among owners is this:

“My property manager handles performance.”

Property management is essential — but management and performance are not the same thing.

Management keeps the property running.
Advisory oversight drives results.

Performance comes from:

The new belief worth considering is simple:

Advisory oversight — not just management — is what drives performance.

The opportunity here isn’t fear.
It’s curiosity.

Curiosity about whether your property is simply being managed — or whether it’s being positioned to truly perform.

Retail real estate in this environment isn’t about guessing what’s next.

It’s about understanding what’s changing — and staying engaged enough to respond intentionally.

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If you want a clearer understanding of where your strip center stands today — or what opportunities you might be missing — feel free to reach out.

I’d be more than happy to walk through it with you.

Thanks for reading. You’re always welcome to reach out with any questions or anything you need to better understand your investment. I’m here to help you make well-informed decisions with confidence.

— Ray Kang CCIM

Strip Center Investment Sales & Advisory

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