Detroit Retail Market Report

Northern suburbs show early signs of recovery. While large chain bankruptcies have continued to drive vacancy higher in submarkets like West Wayne County, Macomb County and Flint, other areas are showing signs of improvement. Faster-growing northern suburbs like Bloomfield, Troy and Livingston County saw vacancy decline or hold flat in the first half of 2025, fueled by demand from grocery, discount and fitness tenants. Across the metro, leasing volume was down only about 8 percent year over year in June with more than 4 million square feet signed, underscoring relatively durable demand despite broader headwinds. This dynamic, combined with fewer anticipated closures and a limited construction pipeline, should help retail conditions stabilize more broadly heading into 2026.