Though the COVID-19 pandemic drove business away from brick-and-mortar retail and caused an e-commerce boom, some retail sectors were already struggling to keep physical stores open. More than 9,000 stores closed in 2019. With many additional retail spaces left empty by pandemic-related consolidations and bankruptcies, the commercial real estate sector has struggled to come up with viable alternatives for these properties. Some retailers and property owners have begun experimenting with retail-to-logistics property conversions to meet skyrocketing demand for fulfillment space. For example, Amazon recently opened ... Read More

Even if the supply chain sector hadn’t had a global pandemic to contend with, 2020 was still marked by uncontrollable global wildfires and destructive storms. 2020 also tied for the hottest year on record, which climate scientists believe relates directly to the increase in severe weather events and other natural disasters experienced around the world. These disastrous events cause significant disruption in global supply chains, leading industry stakeholders to consider methods for reducing the environmental impact of production, transportation, and storage of goods. As the ... Read More