Developers who began their careers as retailers say the experience helped make them far better custodians of their real estate.
The concept of cross-training — practicing multiple sports with a view toward ramping up one’s overall level of fitness — is commonplace today in athletics. Can a similar approach among shopping center developers yield similar benefits? Some developers who started off in retail say their background doing things like running stores or finding sites for national chains continues to prove invaluable now that they sit at the other end of the negotiating table.