ICSC SCTWeek reports store openings up 11 percent in July

Five Guys Burgers and Fries on Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan

Could things be looking up for commercial districts looking to fill vacancies? Shopping Centers Today, a publication of the International Council of Shopping Centers, reports that retail store-opening plans hit a four-year high in July, according to RBC Capital Markets, whose research team tracks 2,000 chains each month. This includes retailers that don't shy away from downtown areas and urban commercial districts, including Dollar General, Family Dollar, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and Subway. These retailers were cited as having the most new stores on the drawing board, according to the report. In addition, "plus-size apparel, specialty gifts, and crafts are the merchandise categories...show the biggest increase in store-opening plans versus a year ago."