How to Properly Vet a Grocery Tenant

Mark Baziak recently completed a lease transaction with grocer Vallarta.

Grocery tenants have become the holy grail for retail owners, but with rapid expansion from several small grocers and some small brands shuttering in recent years, vetting grocery tenants has become an artistry. Brokers are looking at target audiences now more than ever before to ensure the store is a good fit for the center and the neighborhood. Still, grocery tenants remain the preferred anchor for shopping centers and there is plenty of tenant demand to go around. Mark Baziak, senior managing director at Newmark Knight Frank, gives us some insight into the leasing activity for these tenants, which ones are seeing healthy growth and how he is vetting grocery tenants to make sure they prosper in the shopping center.

GlobeSt.com: What is leasing activity like for grocery anchored tenants?