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Where We Buy: Retail Real Estate with James Cook: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Where We Buy
James Cook and his fellow retail researchers visit shopping destinations around the world, interview retail and real estate executives and discuss market research in a fast-paced and fun setting. James researches retail and real estate for JLL.
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- 5 days ago24 min
The Editor's Top Five Trends Worth Tracking - Where We Buy #387
Amanda Metcalf is Editor-in-Chief at Commerce + Communities Today at ICSC. Her job is to stay on top of everything new and noteworthy in the world of retail real estate. Amanda shares the top five trends she is tracking, including stadium districts, medical uses at malls, nostalgia-driven retail, the evolution of specialty leasing and ancillary income, and why Chicago has become a go-to testing ground for new retail concepts. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.
- 1 weeks ago26 min
The Streets Where Brands Want to Be - Where We Buy #386
L3 Capital has a simple thesis: location, location, location. They find the streets where people want to be and invest in them. James spoke with Whitney Robinette of L3 Capital about how her firm is building prime urban retail portfolios in neighborhoods like SoHo, Williamsburg, Gold Coast, and Fulton Market. They dig into what makes a great urban retail location, why luxury brands are heading to unexpected places, and how tenant relationships drive the entire strategy. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.
- 2 weeks ago36 min
Creating Real-World Experiences for Nike, Coinbase, and Taco Bell - Where We Buy #385
Zack Teachout and Austin Mayer are with Hovercraft, a creative design practice that builds brand experiences for clients like Nike, Coinbase, Taco Bell, and BetMGM. They explain what it takes to get people away from their screens and into the real world. They share how Hovercraft designs retail spaces, temporary activations, and immersive installations that blend physical environments with technology. The conversation covers standout projects including a robotic basketball experience for Coinbase at NBA All-Star, a golf tournament activation for Taco Bell and Bad Birdie, and an interactive LED basketball court built inside an abandoned Las Vegas nightclub for BetMGM. Teachout and Mayer also discuss how they measure success, why shorter timelines often produce their best work, and the principles behind creating experiences that draw people in and keep them engaged. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.
- 3 weeks ago26 min
ICSC 2026 Wrap-Up with Naveen Jaggi - Where We Buy #384
Recording live from the JLL booth in the final hours of ICSC Las Vegas 2026, Naveen Jaggi, President, Retail Advisory Services for the Americas at JLL joins James Cook and Keisha Virtue to sum up the trends and themes from the largest commercial real estate conference in the world. Naveen shares his take on the state of retail leasing and the surprising resurgence of Class B and C malls. He also discusses the stressed consumer, the rise of value and discount retailers, the explosive growth of entertainment concepts in retail spaces, the expansion of Korean beauty and cosmetics brands into the US market, and how global retail markets compare. Keisha Virtue is the Retail Research Manager in the Americas for JLL. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.
- May 15, 202632 min
Naked Farmer CEO Jordan Johnson - Where We Buy #383
Naked Farmer is a fast casual restaurant chain that launched in Florida about six years ago with a plan to offer good meals with ingredients sourced from local farms. CEO and founder Jordan Johnson explains how the company builds direct relationships with Southeast farmers, plans seasonal menus nine to 12 months in advance, and applies fine dining culinary techniques in a fast casual setting. Johnson also discusses the company's origin story, including pivoting to a digital farmer's market during the pandemic, the challenges of entering new markets like Nashville and Charlotte, what makes an ideal restaurant location, and upcoming spring menu items like crispy sesame tofu and cucumber ranch salad. Now with 10 locations across Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee, Johnson shares his vision for scaling regionally while keeping the mission of fixing the food supply system at the center of the brand. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. James Cook is the director of retail research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.
- May 8, 202644 min
Turning Vacant Retail into Fantasy Worlds with Mike Bennett Studios - Where We Buy #382
Mike Bennett was an unemployed artist in Portland, Oregon when he created a public art project that captured the imagination of the city during the pandemic. He then created art popups in increasingly large retail spaces, then Wonderwood Indoor Mini Golf & Cafe, and then The Portland Aquarium, an indoor cartoon aquarium. Bennett and his business partner Teddy Albertson discuss these spaces, their plans for their new Zooquarium brand, and how they're turning vacant retail spaces into community-driven immersive destinations that are getting national attention. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.
- May 1, 202632 min
Turning VR into a Spectator Sport with Mirra - Where We Buy #381
Sam Wang is Co-Founder and CEO of Mirra Immersive LLC, the creator of Mirra Arena, a competitive social VR arena that combines multiplayer active gameplay with large-format LED spectator displays. Wang explains how he and his partner conceived the concept during the pandemic and built a proprietary system where up to eight players compete in VR while friends watch the action on a massive screen in real time. He covers the company's flagship venue in Bellevue, Washington, its expansion through licensing deals in China, and the challenge of making location-based entertainment profitable. Wang also discusses the role of AI in personalizing the game experience and how his background in film, including work on Jackie Chan movies and the 2008 Beijing Olympic opening ceremony, shaped his approach to creating cinematic, accessible games for a broad audience. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.
- Apr 24, 202630 min
Mall of America's Carrie Charleston - Where We Buy #380
Carrie Charleston is Vice President-Head of Leasing at Mall of America, the 5.6-million-square-foot shopping, entertainment, and dining destination in Bloomington, Minnesota, owned by Triple Five Group. Carrie discusses the wave of new brands debuting at Mall of America—from SKIMS and Alo Yoga to Pop Mart and Miniso—and the growing influence of Asian retail and K-pop culture on the tenant mix. She also covers the property's marquee entertainment offerings, including Nickelodeon Universe and Sea Life Aquarium, the rise of competitive socializing concepts like Activate and Escape Games, and plans for a future water park expansion. Charleston explains how social media and influencer culture drive foot traffic, and how Mall of America collaborates with sister properties West Edmonton Mall and American Dream to offer retailers a unique portfolio of mega-destinations. This interview was recorded at Entertainment Experience Evolution 2026, a conference by InterFace Conference Group, which is a division of France Media Inc. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.
About Where We Buy: Retail Real Estate with James Cook
James Cook and his fellow retail researchers visit shopping destinations around the world, interview retail and real estate executives and discuss market research in a fast-paced and fun setting. James researches retail and real estate for JLL.
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