FrontRunner: Lighting Up Vacant Storefronts with Innovation

The Growing Challenge of Vacant Storefronts

If you've strolled down a bustling downtown street or wandered through a suburban shopping center recently, chances are you've noticed the growing number of vacant storefronts adorned with "For Lease" signs. This phenomenon isn't unique to Canada; it's a global trend that highlights the evolving landscape of retail.

Understanding the Trend: Vacancies on the Rise

In Canada alone, approximately 36 million square feet of retail space sits empty, mirroring a similar trend in the U.S. where over 800 million square feet of retail space remains unoccupied. The reasons behind this surge in vacancies are varied, ranging from escalating property taxes and labor costs to the relentless march of e-commerce. Recently, Calgary witnessed the closure of 29 businesses in just two months due to these economic pressures. Similarly, a report by Coresight Research revealed that store closures in the U.S. in 2019 surpassed the total for the entirety of 2018.

The Evolving Retail Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities

As the traditional brick-and-mortar retail model faces unprecedented challenges, the industry is undergoing a seismic shift. The decline of the middle class coupled with the allure of online shopping has prompted retailers to reimagine the shopping experience. Consequently, commercial real estate owners are compelled to explore innovative strategies to attract new tenants and revitalize vacant spaces.

PropTech: Driving Solutions in Real Estate

Enter PropTech – property technology – the driving force behind solutions to these challenges. Leading the charge is FrontRunner Technologies, the pioneer of an ingenious digital media delivery platform tailored specifically for storefronts. FrontRunner offers commercial real estate owners a suite of tools designed to:

FrontRunner's Solution: Illuminating Dark Spaces

1. Illuminate Dark Spaces: By projecting dynamic digital content onto vacant storefronts, FrontRunner helps attract prospective tenants, breathing life into desolate spaces.

Sustaining Urban Vibrancy: Transforming Empty Spaces

2. Sustain Urban Vibrancy: Transforming empty spaces into engaging destinations not only preserves the commercial value of urban areas but also fosters vibrant communities.

Data-Driven Insights: Harnessing Demographics

3. Harness Data: FrontRunner's platform collects real-time demographic and impression data, invaluable for informing leasing and marketing strategies.

Unlocking Revenue Streams: Monetizing Vacant Spaces

4. Monetize Vacant Spaces: By leveraging unused window space, FrontRunner enables property owners to generate revenue from otherwise dormant assets.

FrontRunner's Innovative Approach

FrontRunner's approach is simple yet transformative. Leveraging projection mapping technology, the company delivers dynamic, high-quality video and interactive content in high-traffic areas, revitalizing neighborhoods and creating new opportunities for engagement.

A Visionary Perspective: FrontRunner's Leadership

Nathan Elliott, CEO and Founder of FrontRunner Technologies, emphasizes the dual impact of their solution: "Our WindowFront Matrix™ illuminates dark spaces across North America while providing brands with access to high-traffic inventory for sharing hyper-targeted, engaging content. We're turning challenges into opportunities in an industry undergoing significant transformation."

Empowering Property Owners and Retailers

For commercial real estate owners grappling with high vacancy rates, FrontRunner offers a lifeline. By repurposing window spaces for digital content, landlords can draw positive attention to their properties, generate additional income, and enhance community engagement.

Transforming Communities: The Ripple Effect

Matt Stefan, Chief Mar-tech Officer at FrontRunner, highlights the transformative potential of their approach: "Property owners are injecting new life into their spaces, leveraging analytics to better understand their properties while turning them into focal points of public attention."

Driving Positive Change: The Broader Impact

Elizabeth Crisante, Director of Business Development at FrontRunner, underscores the broader benefits: "Vibrant communities drive higher property values, foster stronger local business engagement, and enhance public perception. It's a win-win-win for property owners, retailers, and the community."

Embracing Innovation: Retailers and Technology

The benefits extend beyond property owners to retailers as well. FrontRunner's WindowShopping platform promises to revolutionize storefront interactions, offering opportunities for interactive engagement, point-of-purchase displays, and more.

A Collaborative Approach: Partnerships for Success

In collaboration with top real estate groups including Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers, and Kingsett Capital, FrontRunner's WindowFront Matrix is redefining the possibilities for vacant storefronts, creating brighter commercial prospects for stakeholders across the board.

Seizing Opportunities: Lighting Up the Future

"There are windows of opportunity everywhere," Elliott concludes. "Why not light them up?" With FrontRunner's innovative approach, the future of retail is brighter than ever before.