Retail Retold

The Retail Retold Podcast highlights community retailer stories from across the country and gives a behind-the-scenes perspective from business leaders in both retail and real estate industries. The show’s episodes contain valuable insights that help solve the needs of entrepreneurs and real estate pros.Each week our guests share stories of what worked, what didn’t, the ups and downs – giving the audience a critical set of tools needed for business success. Join host Chris Ressa and new guests weekly for amazing insights and thought-provoking stories. Brought to you by DLC Management Corp.

Retail Retold is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 396 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Retail Retold, a business show with 396 episodes published.

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  Episode #400

  FunBox Bouncing Into a Vacant Box Near You

  Oct 1, 202626 minS1

  What does it take to scale kids entertainment nationwide? Family entertainment has become a major part of the retail real estate conversation. But as the category gets more crowded, the concepts that grow will need more than a good idea. Suat Gokmen , co-founder and part owner of FunBox , joins Chris Ressa to talk about the growth of the kids entertainment brand and what it takes to scale a concept in today’s retail environment. Built around large-scale inflatable play parks, FunBox primarily serves kids ages two to 10 and has found a particularly strong business in birthday parties. The concept started outdoors following COVID before gradually moving indoors, a shift that opened the door to a much larger retail expansion strategy. Today, FunBox has eight operating locations, 10 under construction, six signed leases and more deals in the pipeline. But growth brings a different set of questions. As FunBox expands nationwide, the team has to balance the right markets, the right real estate and the right franchisees. A location can look great on paper and still not work. Gokmen still visits potential sites himself, combining data with what he sees and experiences on the ground before moving forward. There is also a bigger shift happening across family entertainment. After years of rapid growth, Gokmen sees a category beginning to face some growing pains. Rather than respond by adding more attractions or complexity, FunBox is staying focused on the experience that built the business. Ressa and Gokmen discuss what FunBox has learned as it scales, the realities of growing through franchising, what landlords should understand about the concept and where kids entertainment fits into the next phase of retail real estate. What You’ll Hear How FunBox is scaling from outdoor parks to indoor retail Why birthday parties are a major part of the business How FunBox evaluates new markets and locations Why a 16-foot ceiling opens up more retail opportunities How franchising is shaping where FunBox expands next Why FunBox is staying focused as the FEC market gets crowded Chapters 01:04 — Meet Suat Gokmen and FunBox Meet the entrepreneur behind FunBox and the experiences that led him to kids entertainment. 01:57 — From real estate and cars to FunBox Suat shares his path through real estate, auto dealerships and other ventures before FunBox. 04:04 — How FunBox got its start How an outdoor bounce park concept during COVID evolved into an indoor entertainment business. 06:09 — Finding FunBox’s core customer Why FunBox stays focused on younger kids and the families bringing them through the door. 07:55 — Finding the right retail space The size, ceiling heights and market characteristics that can make a location work. 10:00 — Scaling through franchising How FunBox is using franchise growth to expand its footprint across the country. 12:09 — The economics behind FunBox A look at startup costs, insurance and the economics that shape the model. 13:49 — Standing out in family entertainment How FunBox thinks about competition as the family entertainment category gets more crowded. 16:03 — Proving the concept How an early indoor location helped validate the model and create momentum for expansion. 18:00 — Getting the right locations Why data matters in site selection, but seeing a potential location firsthand still matters too. 20:06 — Building the FunBox experience How birthday parties and private events have become a major part of the business. 21:53 — What’s next for FunBox Suat shares where FunBox is headed and his outlook on the future of family entertainment.

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  Episode #399

  The People Are the Plot

  Sep 24, 202624 minS1

  The People Are the Plot What does it take to make a retail real estate deal work? Ask Chris Ressa, and he’ll tell you it starts with people. In this episode, University of Alabama student Asa Moran, host of CRE Simplified , interviews Chris about the lessons he has learned across his career. Digging into the fundamentals of the business, Chris offers lessons for anyone working in commercial real estate. Chris takes Asa inside a complicated grocery deal involving an underperforming store, two competing grocers, a pharmacy that had to remain open during construction, two new leases, and a refinancing. It took far more than finding replacement tenants. It took relationships, coordination, and a team that could keep every piece moving. What stalls a deal? Chris points to an issue that can be easy to miss: knowing who actually has the authority to say yes. Even when the people negotiating agree, a deal can lose momentum if the final decision makers have not been part of the process. His advice applies whether you are working on your first lease or your hundredth. Asa also asks Chris how he found his way into retail real estate, why he moved from leasing into leadership, and what he looks for in new hires. Chris shares the role mentors played in his career and the habits that helped him learn the business: reading widely, building relationships, working hard, and making life easier for his teammates. It is a conversation grounded in the realities of getting deals done and building strong teams. Asa brings a student’s curiosity. Chris brings experience. Together, they get to the point that holds up at every stage of a career: behind every location are people making it work. What You’ll Hear Why the people behind the real estate are what make it work What a complicated grocery deal taught Chris about relationships, coordination and getting to the finish line How Chris learned to shorten the learning curve through reading, relationships and curiosity Why effort became the career advantage Chris knew he could control What wrestling taught Chris about the danger of bad habits that still get results Why having the right decision-makers involved can keep a deal from losing momentum What Chris has learned about building strong teams and spotting potential in young talent Chapters 00:38 — Real estate is a people business Why Chris believes the people behind the property ultimately make the real estate work. 01:41 — Life as a COO How teammates, real estate and clients shape Chris’s day-to-day role. 02:50 — From athlete to leader How wrestling, coaching and mentorship influenced Chris’s move from leasing into management. 05:07 — Learning through complicated deals Chris walks through a grocery transaction involving multiple tenants, a termination, refinancing and a pharmacy transition. 09:11 — Know who can actually make the decision One of Chris’s biggest dealmaking lessons: understand the decision process before you get too far down the road. 11:10 — The danger of bad habits that work Why getting results doesn’t always mean you’re doing things the right way. 14:13 — How Chris found commercial real estate A first job at Sherwin-Williams unexpectedly turns into a career in the industry. 15:25 — Cut the learning curve Why reading, networking and being intentional about learning can accelerate your career. 17:51 — Make yourself valuable Chris explains why he focused early on making everyone else’s job easier. 19:46 — Books that shaped his leadership Three recommendations that influenced how Chris thinks about people and teams. 21:00 — What Chris looks for in young talent Humility, hunger, communication, adversity and the traits that stand out beyond experience. 24:01 — Why commercial real estate stuck The appeal of an industry where the results of your work are visible and measurable.

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  Episode #398

  Retail Retold Replay: One deal, 100 calls later

  Sep 17, 202633 minS1

  Persistence, scarce retail space and the fundamentals behind the right deal. This Retail Retold replay brings us back to a conversation with Kevin Nassimi , Vice President of Real Estate at Nassimi Realty, about a question that still matters: Does America actually have enough physical retail space? For years, the industry talked about the U.S. being over-stored. Chris Ressa and Kevin challenged that assumption, looking at the forces already reshaping retail supply, from intense demand for pad sites and limited big-box availability to former retail space being converted to multifamily, industrial, and self-storage. It’s a conversation worth revisiting because the fundamentals behind it go beyond one market cycle. Kevin shares what he was seeing across Nassimi Realty’s portfolio, including significant demand for freestanding pad sites and fewer available big-box spaces. Chris digs into why. Former 100,000-square-foot boxes have increasingly been divided among multiple tenants, expanding the pool of potential users while reducing the amount of true large-format space available. They also discuss how limited new construction and the repurposing of obsolete retail have further constrained supply. As former retail properties are converted to multifamily, industrial, self-storage, and other uses, that square footage leaves the retail market altogether. But the conversation isn’t only about supply and demand. Kevin shares the story behind bringing Burlington to a former Kmart space in Clifton, New Jersey, after reaching out close to 100 times over four years. The deal is a reminder that persistence matters, but so does knowing your asset, understanding the trade area, and recognizing when the right tenant belongs at the right property. From changing store formats and limited supply to retailer demand and the fundamentals of dealmaking, this replay takes another look at a question retail real estate is still navigating: How much physical retail space do we actually need? What You’ll Hear Why demand for retail pad sites has become so intense How big-box availability reached levels Kevin hasn’t seen in his career Why splitting former Kmart-sized boxes is changing retail supply How conversions to multifamily, industrial, and self-storage are removing retail space from the market Why high construction costs are making new retail supply even harder to deliver What nearly 100 calls over four years taught Kevin about persistence in leasing Why knowing the asset and trade area matters more than accepting a retailer’s first “no” How a major wave of store closures could temporarily disrupt today’s fast leasing environment Why retailer optimism remains high despite broader economic uncertainty Chapters 0:00 — Meet Kevin Nassimi Kevin shares his role at Nassimi Realty and the family-owned company’s approach to suburban shopping centers. 4:53 — Clear the Air A difficult residential conversion, construction blind spots, and Kevin’s surprisingly generous philosophy on broker commissions. 9:12 — 100 calls later: the Burlington deal Kevin explains why he kept pursuing Burlington for years—and what finally changed. 12:27 — Persistence only works if you know the real estate Chris breaks down the fundamentals behind the Clifton deal, from trade-area knowledge to tenant critical mass. 15:27 — What’s happening in retail right now? Kevin shares what he’s seeing across markets after reconnecting with retailers and brokers at ICSC. 15:59 — Why pad sites are king Demand for freestanding buildings and drive-thru opportunities is creating fierce competition for limited space. 18:50 — Where did all the big boxes go? Chris and Kevin examine why large-format availability has tightened and how former boxes are being divided among multiple tenants. 22:09 — Retail supply is disappearing Conversions to industrial, multifamily, and self-storage are taking former retail square footage permanently out of the market. 22:35 — Is America under-stored? Chris challenges the old assumption that the U.S. has too much physical retail. 23:00 — Smaller boxes, more tenants, less risk Why breaking up former Kmart-sized spaces has expanded the tenant pool and diversified landlord exposure. 25:39 — The impact of the next major store closure Chris and Kevin discuss why a large bankruptcy or closure wave could slow leasing activity far beyond the affected properties. 27:07 — Retailer optimism is still high Despite economic uncertainty, Chris says the confidence among physical retailers at ICSC was hard to miss. 27:51 — RadioShack, Bloomingdale’s and a serious salt tooth Kevin closes with the retailers he misses, how he shops, and the Target aisle

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  Episode #397

  Retail Is Winning. Can Institutional Capital Keep Up?

  Sep 9, 202634 minS1

  The case for more retail investment is getting harder to deny. Retail real estate has spent years proving its strength. Vacancy is tight, rents are growing and recent performance has outpaced other major commercial real estate asset classes. Yet retail still accounts for just 13% of institutional real estate holdings. So why hasn’t capital caught up? CBRE’s Karly Iacono and Chris Ressa look at the disconnect between retail’s compelling fundamentals and its relatively small share of institutional investment. The opportunity is there, but retail isn’t an easy asset class to understand from a spreadsheet. Co-tenancy, exclusives, tenant sales, market rents and local dynamics all influence how a shopping center performs. Two centers across the street from each other can support very different rents based on traffic, tenant performance and the strength of the individual property. Understanding those differences requires more than access to data. It requires knowing what the data means and having the ability to act on it. That’s where the operator becomes increasingly important. As institutional investors look to increase their exposure to retail, operating partners can provide the market knowledge, retailer relationships and execution needed to turn an investment thesis into actual NOI growth. Chris argues that we’re in the “age of the operator,” where simply owning the right asset may not be enough. And the fundamentals continue to strengthen the argument. Rent spreads are growing without sacrificing occupancy, quality retail inventory remains limited and there may still be significant room for rents and NOI to grow. The fundamentals are there. Now it’s a matter of who knows how to capitalize on them. What You’ll Hear Why retail remains underallocated despite stronger fundamentals How co-tenancy risk is changing for landlords and investors Why operational expertise is key to unlocking value How tenant sales and data shape market rent Why local market knowledge can make or break a deal How operating partners help institutions get comfortable with retail Why retail may still have significant room to run Chapters 01:16 - Why is retail still underallocated? Retail fundamentals are strong, but institutional ownership still trails multifamily and industrial. 04:42 - The 13% allocation gap Retail represents just 13% of institutional holdings, even as recent performance has outpaced other asset classes. 07:45 - Is co-tenancy risk overstated? Why the details inside the lease matter more than the presence of a co-tenancy clause itself. 12:16 - Where operational complexity creates value The challenge isn’t simply running a retail asset. It’s executing the plan needed to unlock its upside. 16:04 - What is market rent, really? How tenant sales and property performance can drive different rents at shopping centers across the street from each other. 18:46 - Having the data vs. understanding it Why access to retail data only goes so far without the expertise to interpret and execute on it. 19:19 - Why local market knowledge matters The opportunity in secondary markets, local tenants and the relationships that can’t always be captured in underwriting. 23:30 - The age of the operator Why institutional investors are turning to operating partners and JVs to execute their retail investment strategies. 26:02 - What institutional capital wants to buy From grocery-anchored centers to power centers, why deal type, location and quality still shape where capital moves. 29:35 - Does retail still have room to run? Strong rent spreads, occupancy and NOI growth make the case for more institutional capital moving into retail

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  Episode #395

  A LiveView of technology, trust, and safer retail

  Aug 27, 202633 minS1

  How do technology and trust create safer shopping centers? Security is easy to notice after something goes wrong. The harder question is whether owners and operators are doing enough before that moment arrives. Chris Ressa talks with Mark Bradshaw, vice president of property management at DLC, and Paul Ganz, vice president of business market development at LiveView Technologies, about how retail properties can reduce risk without making customers feel like they are entering a fortress. The answer is not another camera. It is a layered security strategy built around deterrence, technology, property operations, law enforcement, and community relationships. Ganz brings an unusually broad perspective. He spent 13 years as a police officer before moving into retail loss prevention, supply chain, store operations, and corporate security. Bradshaw brings the owner-operator view, including how DLC uses mobile security units for more than surveillance. The same equipment can help property managers monitor vendors, assess weather conditions, inspect work, and maintain visibility across a geographically dispersed portfolio. The conversation also gets honest about artificial intelligence. AI can already identify loitering, unauthorized access, and other predefined behaviors without forcing someone to stare at a wall of screens. But the technology still cannot replace human judgment, direct a complete response, or build the local relationships that make security programs work. That distinction matters now. Retail centers are private property designed for public use. Owners need to protect tenants and customers while preserving a welcoming environment. Deploy too little security, and risk grows. Deploy too much without a strategy, and customers may assume the property is unsafe. The strongest takeaway is simple: security is not a product purchase. It is an operating discipline. The best results come when property owners, technology providers, guards, police departments, and local communities share information, test assumptions, and solve problems together before an incident forces the conversation at each retail property. What you’ll hear Why deterrence is difficult to measure—and still essential to a retail security strategy How owners can “harden” a property without making it feel unwelcoming Why cameras, guards, environmental design, and operating protocols must work together How DLC uses mobile security units to monitor vendors, weather, property conditions, and security risks What AI can already identify, including loitering, unauthorized access, and suspicious behavior Where AI still falls short and why human judgment remains critical How relationships with police departments, local officials, HOAs, and customers can reveal security gaps How mobile technology helped law enforcement combat illegal dumping across vacant county land Why more visible security does not always make customers feel safer What separates a technology vendor from a true strategic partner Chapters 02:17 — Meet Mark Bradshaw and Paul Ganz The guests share their paths through property management, law enforcement, loss prevention, retail operations, and security. 03:46 — What LiveView Technologies does Paul explains how mobile security units bring camera technology, analytics, and deterrence to locations without traditional infrastructure. 05:05 — Can deterrence actually be proven? The group examines how owners measure the value of preventing an event that never occurred. 08:19 — Why mobile security towers were created Construction theft and infrastructure gaps created the need for security technology that could operate remotely. 10:14 — Why retail security requires layers Mark explains how cameras, guards, property design, alerts, and physical response work together. 12:17 — What happens when the system detects suspicious behavior Paul breaks down the progression from flashing lights and audio warnings to alerts and human intervention. 14:43 — What AI can—and cannot—do AI can recognize predefined behaviors, but its reliability and role within a broader security strategy still require scrutiny. 17:49 — How DLC uses LiveView beyond security Mark discusses using mobile units to monitor vendors, inspect work, track weather, and provide visibility across DLC’s portfolio. 21:16 — Why community relationships matter Mark shares how working with police, local leaders, HOAs, tenants, and customers helps owners identify and address problems. 25:40 — Helping law enforcement solve problems faster Paul describes how LVT technology helped identify illegal dumping activity across thousands of acres of vacant land. 27:14 — Sharing camera access with police The guests discuss evidence requests, property-owner authorization, and controlled access during active incidents. 28:50 — Can too much security backfire? Visible technology can reassure customers—or signal that a property is unsafe if it is deployed without a clear strategy. 30:41 — The next real breakthrough for AI Paul explains how AI could move from detecting activity to providing actionable information and anticipating similar risks. 33:28 — Why people will remain part of the solution Mark and Paul make the case for combining technology with human judgment, local knowledge, and strategic partnership.

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