ICSC

Franchise updates: TGI Fridays has signed its first U.S. franchise development deal in more than a decade, with five restaurants planned for New York state. Burger King plans to refranchise about 200 restaurants this year, while McDonald's is pledging $8.5 billion to modernize franchised locations.

Also in John Egan's latest Commerce + Communities Today roundup: Three more franchises with over 500 combined locations in their development pipelines; 3.5 million square feet of retail acquisitions, refinancing and planned development; Halloween shopping trends; and the potential impact of AI on experiential retail. https://www.icsc.com/news-and-views/icsc-exchange/tgi-fridays-first-us-franchise-deal-in-over-a-decade-5-more-franchise-updates-3.5msf-retail-real-estate-activity-and-more

Photo courtesy of HB Protein Smoothies.

Don't miss your chance to join two-time NBA All-Star, Olympian, and developer Carlos Boozer at ICSC@SOUTHEAST as he shares his journey from a 12-year-old kid in Alaska with an improbable NBA dream to building a booming commercial real estate, development, construction, and restaurant platform.

Register today: https://www.icsc.com/attend-and-learn/events/details/southeast-2026

The Standard Rate for ICSC@SOUTHEAST ends on Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET. Register now! https://www.icsc.com/attend-and-learn/events/details/southeast-2026

Join Chris Voss at ICSC+U.S. LAW!

Chris is a globally recognized negotiation authority and best-selling author of "Never Split the Difference," a guide used by business leaders, entrepreneurs, and law enforcement. As the FBI's lead international kidnapping negotiator, Chris was charged with resolving some of the most sensitive and dangerous cases. He developed and refined a gamechanging methodology known as Tactical Empathy®.

He shares how empathizing with the 'other side' can lead to true collaboration and a win-win solution in business and in life.

Register today: https://www.icsc.com/attend-and-learn/events/details/us-law-2026

Join legal experts at ICSC+U.S. LAW and get the impactful, timely legal content you’ve come to expect, plus opportunities to make new connections to drive your practice forward. October 21-23, 2026.

Register today: https://www.icsc.com/attend-and-learn/events/details/us-law-2026

Join us at ICSC RETAIL FORWARD WEST FLORIDA, a half-day event that features engaging content, efficient show floor dealmaking, and meaningful networking.

📆 Tuesday, November 10 , 2026 • 1:30 – 5:00 pm ET

Register at the Advance Rate today: https://www.icsc.com/attend-and-learn/events/details/retail-forward-west-florida-2026

*The Advance Rate ends October 12 at 11:59 pm ET.

Join us at ICSC RETAIL FORWARD DALLAS for an afternoon of show floor dealmaking followed by a casual networking reception. Limited to one day and built for high-ROI, this accessible regional gathering brings together retailers and tenants with brokers, service providers and other CRE decisionmakers to fill spaces, grow businesses and strengthen connections in record time.

📆 Thursday, October 22, 2026 • 1:30 – 5:00 pm CT

Learn more here: https://www.icsc.com/attend-and-learn/events/details/retail-forward-dallas-2026

Why does a retail development take years to break ground? Why can’t a vacant store simply be filled? And why doesn’t every new center land the tenants residents hope for?

Developers say many of the public’s assumptions about retail real estate come down to what happens out of view — from entitlements, financing and leasing to infrastructure delays and long-term merchandising strategy.

Joe Gose looks at what owners and developers wish consumers better understood about how retail projects come together in Commerce + Communities Today. https://www.icsc.com/news-and-views/icsc-exchange/what-consumers-misunderstand-about-retail-development

What Consumers Misunderstand About Retail Development | C+CT Retail developers explain why projects can take years before groundbreaking, how financing and infrastructure can delay timelines, and why vacancies and tenant lineups are often misunderstood.

Don't miss out on hyper-focused dealmaking at ICSC RETAIL FORWARD RALEIGH!

Join us for an afternoon of show floor dealmaking followed by a casual networking reception. Limited to one day and built for high-ROI, this accessible regional gathering brings together retailers and tenants with brokers, service providers and other CRE decisionmakers to fill spaces, grow businesses and strengthen connections in record time.

📆 Wednesday, November 4 , 2026 • 1:30 – 5:00 pm ET

Register today: https://www.icsc.com/attend-and-learn/events/details/retail-forward-raleigh-2026