SAN DIEGO—In an era when consumers are eschewing logos in favor of their own personal style, retailers are challenged to provide all the elements of that style—and more, Colliers International's national director of retail properties Anjee Solanki tells GlobeSt.com. We spoke exclusively with Solanki following ICSC's Western Division Conference here earlier this month to get her take on this new trend and other trends she noticed at the conference.

GlobeSt.com: Please explain what you mean by the “era of the unbrand.”

Solanki: What I'm seeing is this shift in our consumers—mostly with Millennials, but also in markets where you have affluent buyers and shoppers. This came about from a personal experience I had of realizing that I wouldn't want to be plastered head to toe with emblems showcasing and showing off what I'm buying. It's really about my comfort and stylizing myself with different pieces I can pluck from different sources, from the $10 Levi's jeans that were on sale to the Chanel or Stella McCartney jacket without an emblem that has an interesting look. I asked myself, “What are other people thinking?” and I was surprised by the fact that there's this culture of buyers and shoppers that are no longer influenced by the logo. They don't need to say who they are from a status; they're saying it a different way. It's really about my lifestyle and how I live my life, how I dress and share it through technology, social media. Shoppers are relying on their personal tastes to communicate that.

Buying habits are influenced by so many factors. It's no longer about the brand or the logo. People want to feel comfortable but look cool and be in charge of what they're wearing. They'll go to five stores if it makes them comfortable with their unique style. They're the brand—the person, no longer the brands themselves.

GlobeSt.com: How are retail properties affected by this trend?

Solanki: Retail competition has really increased. A few months ago, I blogged about Abercrombie and Hollister losing their market share, but now there's a whole new look and feel about their concept. They're now listening and paying attention. They're trying to re-engage with the Millennial shopper, but the shopper that no longer is interested in conforming to trends. They're trying to be much more comfortable. It's hard for Abercrombie because the competition is well ahead of them. To get that one dollar being spent already elsewhere is difficult to do.

Also, if the shopper is moving away from the big-brand logos, it's much more difficult for the retailer because now that dollar is being spent in several places. Because the competition is so strong, they're fighting hard to keep that audience, so they've created brands within their categories, like H&M and its “Other Stories” concept. This is a great opportunity from a real estate standpoint because the developer and landlord each have the ability to go to this one brand and say, “We want all your concepts.” It covers such a large demographic that ultimately you're going to see a great synergy amongst cross-shopping because you're pulling larger market share, so more dollars can be spent on that project. It's like Lululemon and its men's concept. It's what Westfield does and what GGP does. Developers who have the power to leverage their portfolio will be able to do this and build on it from there.

GlobeSt.com: What retail trends did you notice at ICSC?

Solanki: The trend I picked up on is that vacancy levels in the downtown core are at their lowest. It's important because we're seeing urban infill continue. The availability of land is much sparser, so developers are buying mobile-home parks to convert to mixed use or the highest density in terms of how that land is positioned in the marketplace. I also heard and saw more of the continuation of the experiential stores. PERCH is a great example. It started in San Diego in 2009, and now they're taking it a step further. IKEA asked how they can keep the shopper there longer, and the answer was food, a café. There will be a continuation of that trend since more retailers are reshaping who they are. They know they have a strong brand, and now they're taking that strong brand and bringing in the experience piece of it through teaching and getting the consumer to learn more about the product they're selling. It's not just experience for experience's sake—it's a learning opportunity. Product experts are in a teaching mode through technology.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about today's retail sector?

Solanki: Years ago at Sears, you used to always be greeted by a product expert in each department. It's similar to that with smaller retailers. Verizon is creating its smart store, which has small gathering areas where people can learn more about the phone products, and they have Fitbits in there that teach about fitness. That now is a different experience.

The other trend that's really interesting is that the concept of mirroring, where you can go into a dressing room in a major department store, try on an outfit and, if it's not the right size, you can click on a button and see yourself in the mirror in the right size. This concept is coming into the 3.0 phase where you can change the color of the outfit. This technology is being talked about in conferences, even its 4.0 iteration.