Detroit Retail Market Report

International traffic a tailwind for space along the border. June 2022 ended with Detroit noting a sixth straight quarter of positive net absorption. This consistent retailer demand, paired with a small construction pipeline by historical standards, has enabled vacancy to fall below 6 percent. Detroit-The Pointes, Downriver, Macomb and the Northern Outlying submarkets accounted for nearly 70 percent of space absorbed on a net basis in the trailing 12-month period ended in June. These submarkets are home to the major highways connecting Detroit to Ontario and Windsor. The Windsor-Detroit border is the busiest international crossing in North America, and amid the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions, areas between Michigan and Canada have seen an uptick in commuter, tourist and truck driver traffic. Rising travel is drawing retailers to submarkets containing major highways or those along the border.