In today’s retail environment, “place” refers to more than a prime location along a busy street. More importantly, it means creating memorable experiences for shoppers. Panelists at ISCS LAS VEGAS highlighted the power of place in retail.

Many retail real estate projects incorporate an element of placemaking, which Neumann Monson Architects’ Josh Rechkemmer wrote “strengthens a community, helping residents develop a deeper connection to public spaces.” Speakers at an ICSC LAS VEGAS session titled Marketplace Moves: Activating Community Through Public-Private Projects stressed that developers should go beyond the dollars-and-cents benefits of placemaking when planning a project. Washington, D.C., Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert said investing in placemaking can boost not only the bottom line of a real estate project but also — and more important — a community’s brand. “It makes for a really inclusive community,” Albert said. “It makes for a really vibrant place to visit, and I think it makes cities and towns evergreen and sustainable.”

Hunden Partners president and CEO Rob Hunden, whose firm provides consulting services for destination-oriented real estate projects, said a community of any size can undertake a placemaking effort that produces a dense, walkable environment. “If you are doing something really interesting and compelling, that’s going to stand the test of time,” Hunden said. “There is a true long-term payoff in thoughtful placemaking.” As opposed to the relatively short-term “shelf life” of a strip shopping center, he said, a well-crafted placemaking initiative holds the potential to deliver benefits for 30 to 50 years or more.

Edens development director Emalia Tamanikwa, an ICSC Next Generation trustee and ICSC 4 Under 40 honoree, agreed with Albert and Hunden. Tamanikwa, whose company owns more than 100 open-air retail and mixed-use developments in the U.S., said placemaking can foster a sense of community, generate jobs and establish a “vibrant and profitable” place.

At another place-related ICSC LAS VEGAS session, architect Kevin Kelley stressed the importance of physical places amid the rise of artificial intelligence and e-commerce. The principal and co-founder of the Shook Kelley strategy and design firm and author of “Irreplaceable” said in-person interaction is even more viable in the digital age. “We can no longer win on price, variety or convenience,” Kelley said during a session titled The Power of Place: Where Art and Science Connect To Create Meaningful Experiences. “We actually have to work on social delight, social bliss, social meaning, experiential stimulation.” In fact, he told the audience that a new playbook must be written to ensure the payoff of visiting a physical place is greater than the work it takes to get there.

In line with that revised playbook, Kelley explained how his firm adapted a former Albertsons grocery store in Southern California for the new Mercado González, a format from regional Hispanic grocery store chain Northgate González Markets. Northgate operates more than 40 stores in Southern California. In 2024, The New York Times reported the chain’s annual revenue exceeded $1 billion.

For the Northgate project, the Shook Kelley website explains, the firm created “a brand experience that had more soul and shared a more meaningful touchpoint for the Mexican community, which would simultaneously increase its appeal to non-Hispanic audiences.” The rebranding enabled Northgate to veer away from its path of becoming a “more mainstream and traditional” grocery chain, according to Shook Kelley. Kelley said the turnaround created a “food adventure” that pumped up sales.