Expansion Heats Up in ‘The Big Smile’
At this point, it’s a surprise that the continental United States isn’t tipping over, as the population continues to move southward in search of affordable housing, warmer weather and, in many cases, lower taxes. And where the people go — especially high-income ones — retailers follow.
That’s why — during a time when new retail construction is at a 20-year low — most new builds are taking place in what retail real estate developers refer to as “The Big Smile,” a geographic grin that begins in the Carolinas, extends down to Miami, and stretches across the Sun Belt through Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix