How Regency Centers Counters Market Volatility With Operational Resilience

As economic and technological headwinds buffet consumers and businesses, successful retail players continue to lean into their fundamental strengths. Increasingly, though, they must also be highly agile to navigate the road ahead. 

“For retail leaders, the mandate is clear: Focus on what is in your control, double down on the fundamentals, elevate them with AI and insight, and meet consumers with value,” said Deloitte in its 2026 Retail Industry Global Outlook. “Those who do should shape not just the year ahead, but the next era of retail.”

That prescription is very much like the approach of Regency Centers, a Florida-based operator of more than 400 retail centers, which began the new year with optimism after seeing growth across major metrics in 2025. These included net operating income, new and renewal leasing rates, and new project starts.

Nick Wibbenmeyer, west region president and chief investment officer, said Regency is well positioned to continue those positive trends in 2026. He credited a company strategy that emphasizes grocery-anchored centers in strong suburban markets across the country where there is demand for high-quality retail options.

“In 2025, we saw strong tenant performance, near-record occupancy and continued rent growth, and looking ahead, we expect continued operating strength as our tenants continue to perform well,” Wibbenmeyer said. “We also see continued momentum in our investments, developing in high-growth markets and partnering with successful retailers that provide everyday goods and services to the communities we serve.”

To learn how Regency plans to continue to find success by combining its core competencies with a playbook that emphasizes resilience in the face of macro uncertainty, Bisnow asked Wibbenmeyer to expand on the company’s key strengths.

Grocery-Anchored Gathering Places

A good grocery anchor is essential to the success of Regency’s properties, Wibbenmeyer said. Even with the rise of e-grocery platforms, regular visits to the market remain a ritual for most consumers, ensuring a steady stream of revenue.

However, the benefits don’t end when food shoppers return their carts. The consistent, weekly traffic driven by grocery stores supports an ecosystem of surrounding shops and restaurants, he said. This adds durability to the shopping center’s income stream and, importantly, in uncertain times, makes grocery-anchored centers more resilient than many other retail formats.

But it’s a strategy that requires careful planning. Wibbenmeyer said the keys to success include selecting the right locations, partnering with top-performing grocers and curating the right mix of complementary shop tenants. 

“Regency has built those relationships with retailers over many years, and our teams focus on creating environments where they can succeed and grow within the community,” he said.

An example of its approach is Ellis Village Center, a nearly 50K SF property under construction in Tracy, California, to be anchored by a Sprouts Farmers Market. Regency chose this site because it is in an upscale, fast-growing area that includes a nearby master-planned community that will have thousands of new homes. Current and future residents will be served not only by Sprouts but by the center’s mix of restaurants, services and retailers.

“Ellis Village demonstrates how we combine strong anchors, thoughtful merchandising and long-term community growth to create centers that perform well for retailers and serve as gathering places for local residents,” Wibbenmeyer said.

'Durable Partnerships'

Finding tenants that will be relevant to the community is a perennial challenge for operators. Retaining them is another, and one that companies like Regency take seriously, as evidenced by its historic retention rate of better than 70%.

“The success of our tenants can be strongly attributed to the attractive locations and high quality of our shopping centers, which allow them to maximize foot traffic to their stores,” Wibbenmeyer said. “Our shop tenants also benefit from the steady traffic created by grocers and other anchors.”

Highly engaged property management, thoughtful merchandising and the nurturing of long-term relationships with retailers are high priorities for Regency. 

“When tenants feel supported and their businesses perform well, they tend to stay,” Wibbenmeyer said. “As a result, our small-shop tenant retention rate is close to 80%, reflecting strong retailer performance and durable partnerships.”

Disciplined Growth

Wibbenmeyer described Regency’s growth strategy as “highly selective.” Its ideal locations for investment are in markets with strong population growth, high household incomes and limited retail supply.

The company’s development and redevelopment pipelines — Regency started new projects worth approximately $318M in 2025 — reflect this disciplined approach, which Wibbenmeyer predicted will continue to generate strong returns on investment in 2026.

“Rather than pursuing growth everywhere, we concentrate on projects where we can create long-term value through location, demographics and the right tenant mix,” he said. “Equally important, our successful track record and our reputation for integrity and long-term partnerships help us to build trusted relationships with property owners and master-plan developers, which can create access to off-market opportunities and collaborative transactions.”

For an example of Regency's approach in action, Wibbenmeyer pointed to Rancho Mission Viejo, a master-planned community in California’s Orange County. Regency acquired five grocery-anchored centers there totaling about 630K SF in 2025. 

The transaction was completed off-market, utilizing Regency’s umbrella partnership real estate investment trust structure, or UPREIT. This approach allows property sellers to receive operating partnership units and participate in Regency’s long-term growth.

“Investments like this allow us to add high-quality assets in markets with strong population growth where demand for neighborhood retail will continue to grow,” Wibbenmeyer said. “It also builds long-term relationships that may lead to future opportunities to invest capital.” 

It also positions Regency for continued growth, he said, no matter what economic headwinds might lie ahead. Or, as Deloitte’s report said of 2026: “Retailers that lead will likely be those that treat adaptability not as a defensive posture, but as a strategic capability.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Regency Centers and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.