Category: Blogs

By James A. Schnur, CCIM
President and Designated Managing Broker
Integrated Real Estate Solutions

Adapting to the evolving consumer demands presented through the adoption and refinement of the e-commerce experience has been a perilous journey for many retailers. Near the beginning of the online shopping revolution, the established model for fulfillment revolved around stand-alone distribution hubs operating regionally, but as the percentage of online shopping sharply ascended, customer demand shifted toward procuring items at the lowest possible shipping costs, delivered in the least amount of time, making the old guard model unsustainable by all but the very largest of retailers, as the overhead price for large warehouse space on top of demanding material handling considerations was too much for mid- to small-sized retailers to shoulder. As such, survival within this new e-commerce retail landscape means finding more creative logistic solutions to maintain competitive pricing and shipping deadlines to, in turn, retain customer business and bolster brand loyalty against larger competitors. Continue reading “Distributing More From Less: How Mini-Distribution Centers can Revolutionize Existing Brick-and-Mortar Facilities”

By James A. Schnur, CCIM
President and Designated Managing Broker
Integrated Real Estate Solutions

Relocating a business can become a costly endeavor, no matter how you slice it. During the search for the perfect property, while balancing the benefits of choosing a new building or an existing property, and navigating the pros and cons of renting versus buying, the additional prospect of looking at a more eco-friendly building can appear anywhere from cursory to daunting, depending on how it’s being approached and assessed. Continue reading “The Forest Through the Trees: Why Looking At Eco-friendly Properties For Relocation Can Save You Green”

By James A. Schnur, CCIM
President and Designated Managing Broker
Integrated Real Estate Solutions

Recruiting and retaining top talent within a company are key variables to continued, successful business growth, as well as fundamental principles of the human factor influencing corporate relocation. In 2019 − the year that Millennials are projected to dethrone Baby Boomers as the largest generation − the pool of top talent prospects is increasingly becoming the mystifying market of 23 to 38-year-olds. That word alone — “Millennials” — conjures innumerable jokes about ping pong tables and nap pods in the workplace to please the Millennial demographic. These asides have continued to hound this sector of the workforce to this day. However, by peeling back the layers of misinformation and half-truths, we can drill down to the true driving forces that keep Millennials productive, engaged, and loyal to one employer over another; providing a potent edge to the informed company willing to put these considerations into practice within their workplace. Continue reading “On-Site Gyms, Dry-Cleaning, & Juice Bars: Which Corporate Amenities Matter to The Rising Millennial Workforce?”

By James A. Schnur, CCIM
President and Designated Managing Broker
Integrated Real Estate Solutions

Planning out the relocation of a company is an involved process. It’s easy to get stuck envisioning an idealized location, but before sinking valuable time and resources into your search, it’s important to step back and determine the needs of your business driving the relocation in the first place. Here are some of the most important details to assess when creating a plan for commercial relocation. Continue reading “Roadmap to Relocation: Take Stock of Your Needs Before Finalizing Your New Location”

 

By James A. Schnur, CCIM
President and Designated Managing Broker
Integrated Real Estate Solutions

After scoping out the perfect location, it’s time to saddle up to the table and hammer out the fine details for your relocation. Taking the plunge and signing a lease on a commercial property is no small feat; requiring a multitude of considerations. Ideally, the lease will strike a fair balance of responsibility and risk between the owner and tenant, but it can be easy to overlook important details within a lease that will shift this balance of costs in an unfavorable direction. To help you navigate through this process without becoming overwhelmed, here are 5 important issues to consider when negotiating a lease for your business.
Continue reading “5 Key issues to consider when negotiating a lease for your business”

By James A. Schnur, CCIM
President and Designated Managing Broker
Integrated Real Estate Solutions

From the time that Amazon expanded beyond selling books and Zappos’ free returns gave shoppers a reason not to go into a store, the face of retail began an evolution. In the past ten years, major retailers like Blockbuster, Kmart, Toys R Us, Circuit City, Borders, and Sports Authority have become just a few of the high-profile big box stores that fell victim to e-commerce. As their customers shifted loyalty to the online alternative, the stores closed, leaving vacant retail space in shopping centers around the country. Continue reading “Repurposing retail space: How e-commerce has created brick-and-mortar opportunities”

By James A. Schnur, CCIM
President and Designated Managing Broker
Integrated Real Estate Solutions

It’s no secret that online shopping has transformed the retail landscape. As consumers demand more convenience, retailers are struggling to deliver—literally and figuratively. While express shipping used to be a bonus, shoppers now seek even faster delivery, whether that’s same-day delivery or shopping online and picking up in the store (click-and-collect). As so many online and offline businesses are sprinting for the last mile in retail transactions, we should be looking at how e-commerce creates opportunities for commercial real estate. Continue reading “Sprinting for the last mile in retail: How e-commerce creates opportunities for commercial real estate”

By James A. Schnur, CCIM
President and Designated Managing Broker
Integrated Real Estate Solutions

For decades, American manufacturers were sending their production overseas, with all the jobs and revenue that went with it, like the cost to maintain factories. Meanwhile, unemployment increased here, along with vacancies of production facilities. Continue reading “Home again: America’s reshoring initiative is bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.”