IRVINE, CA-Retail stores that promote a healthy lifestyle have been filling in vacancies all up and down the coast, David Bradley, a senior associate with Jones Lang LaSalle, tells GlobeSt.com. “Healthy concepts such as juice shops and salad shops are opening locations in many coastal regions along the Southern California coast. This is a trend we will continue to see more and more of in the years to come.”

Orange County's general demographic makeup is focused on a healthy lifestyle, Bradley adds. “Neighborhood shopping centers with grocery-anchored tenants such as Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Fresh Market and Trader Joe's appear to be faring best in the county. Vacancy rates are much lower in centers where these anchors are located due to the array of retail tenants who prefer to lease space where these anchors are present.”

In addition, given their visibility and convenient access, well-located strip centers at intersections with high traffic counts are also faring well, Bradley says. “Although power centers with big-box retailers have traditionally been successful, we are seeing more tenants downsizing into smaller footprints, which will create some larger vacancies in the future.”

As GlobeSt.com reported last week, retail vacancy rates are expected to dip below 5% by mid-2014, according to a report from JLL. Bradley told us that geographical areas where there are opportunity, disposable income and population growth are projected to grow the most.

“The area of Santa Ana, East Huntington Beach, East Costa Mesa and Anaheim is still trying to make a comeback, and it's still very far off from the heights of 2005 and 2006,” Bradley tells GlobeSt.com. “Due to this, we have seen more discount retailers emerge, and we will continue to do so.”

Tenants such as Ross, 99 Cent Only, Dollar Tree, Goodwill, Grocery Outlet and Family Dollar are just a few retailers who have capitalized on larger-box opportunities available in the market, Bradley adds. “Given the market conditions, these tenants are completing deals at $12 to $15 a foot in markets where box rents have traditionally been $21 to $24 a food. However, in the coastal area of OC (Irvine, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo, El Toro, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, etc.), we are seeing a strong rebound with deals in the $39 to $51 range.”