Recent headlines dominating the news often suggest that the retail industry is in a structural decline due to the advent of online shopping and changes in consumer shopping behavior. Malls in particular have been hit hard as large retail chain stores have announced widespread store closures which have wreaked havoc on shopping malls. Yet, the reality is that the woes of the retail industry have predominantly affected mall operators. High quality strip mall operators, on the other hand, have been adapting to the changing environment and adopting innovative ways to grow. This was one of the key message delivered at the Carey Private Equity and Venture Capital Club (PEVC Club) speaker series event on Jun 22 2017 by Mr Wilbur Simmons, III, also known as Tom, who has been President of the Mid-Atlantic Region at Kimco Realty since 2004. Tom holds a Master of Science in Real Estate from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.

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