Photo Credit: Pixabay Retail property continues to stand out as an appealing choice for investors looking for a smarter place to put their money today. We've recently seen quite a bit of smart money go into real estate. Amazon, and some of the world's wealthiest pension funds and endowments are just a couple of examples. As are some of the recent notable transactions by ReDev Properties in the Canadian retail market. The latest figures from StatsCan show the Edmonton unemployment rate dropping a sizable 1.5% in February 2018. Retail giants like Nordstrom have made it known that they would like to buy back more stock or take their companies private again, showing confidence. New businesses are exploding too. Look at the new marijuana industry. Canadians are reportedly spending an average of $1,200 a year on legal weed already, and it's just getting started. This is an industry expected to blaze past and become bigger than alcohol, and could become much bigger than tobacco due to acceptance and usage rules. While the overall economy seems to be strong, where you keep your money matters. Holding cash isn't very attractive these days. Interest on savings is still in net negative territory, and the Loonie is predicted to keep falling in 2018. JP Morgan has just reiterated that it expects stocks to fall 40% in the next few years, and most anticipate a much bigger drop than that. Bitcoin values fell another 20% in the first week of March 2018. This is all making retail property in Canada even cheaper and more attractive. Especially for US and other international investors. On top of Canada having 25% less retail space for capita than the US. Recent corrections, and the rush to acquire centers to rapidly distribute and ship products locally makes it a great time to acquire Canadian retail. This is definitely true for those with experience and vision, and who are able to redevelop and reposition properties. That may include reducing parking areas and putting up more leasable square footage, facilitating new means of transport and digital integrations, and creating experiences. Some say companies like Toys R Us had too much floor space in some cases, but if you are a parent, shopping online with your child just isn't anywhere near the same as the excitement of walking the aisles of toys, exploring new things together, and trying them out. That's not going to change, however the future of toy retailers lies in being able to appeal to their consumer needs. Summary Retail property is still proving to be a solid, reliable, inflation proof investment. It is currently offering the ability to participate in, and create the future of retail, while growing wealth and passive income. The above factors also make it a profitable time for smart money investors to pivot more of their capital and portfolios to this Canadian sector.
- May 25, 2017
- By editor
- News
- No Comments