Whole deal

Retail real estate is on the cusp of a major shift, says Jeff Garrison, and he thinks his company, S.J. Collins Enterprises, is at the forefront of the transformation.

“When you can shop online for 80% of your daily needs, you have to provide something creative and unique,” says Garrison, a partner with S.J. Collins, based in Fairburn, Ga., southwest of Atlanta. “It's really about experience retail now.”

One of the best places to showcase that experience, says Garrison, is with Whole Foods Market-anchored centers, particularly in Florida and the Southeast. Founded in 2007, S.J. Collins, in total, has opened eight Whole Foods-anchored centers since 2011 and has at least 10 more across the nation in some form of development.