Sarasota/Manatee Retail Market

Despite a plethora of wealthy retirees and a robust tourist trade, Sarasota and Manatee counties' retail market has mirrored much of the Gulf Coast region since the end of the economic recession.

While the 880,000-square-foot Mall at University Town Center has shifted the retail nexus for the two-county region, and satellite stores have sprung up around the mall since its debut two years ago, development has been concentrated among single-tenant, out-parcel shops. Traditional strip shopping center and power center developments have been lacking over the past decade.

Infill development also dominated in the two counties, as changing consumer preferences have aligned with superior, proven locations retailers covet.