U.S. Retail Occupancy Continued to Improve in the Third Quarter of 2026
Business Wire•28/10/2026•09:00 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤8.5 million more square feet occupied nationally in Q3 2026
- ➤96.7 million square feet of existing space absorbed, highest since mid-2022
- ➤Retail move-outs fell 7% year over year to roughly 92.3 million square feet
- ➤Austin led major markets with annual net absorption equal to 1.5% of inventory
- ➤Newly delivered space totaled 12.3 million square feet, smallest quarterly contribution since 2021
Expert Statements
Brandon Svec, National director of retail analytics at CoStar Group
“Recent occupancy gains have come almost entirely from tenants filling existing space”
Brandon Svec, National director of retail analytics at CoStar Group
“Expanding retailers continue to absorb locations vacated by large chains, while the limited supply of available space has encouraged tenants to commit quickly when suitable sites become available.”
Brandon Svec, National director of retail analytics at CoStar Group
“Newly constructed space has played a smaller role in the absorption picture, with newly delivered buildings totaling about 12.3 million square feet – the smallest quarterly contribution since 2021.”
U.S. Retail Occupancy Continued to Improve in the Third Quarter of 2026
U.S. retail occupancy improved in the third quarter of 2026, according to data from CoStar , a leading global provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets.
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