CoStar: Retail vacancy rates to rise in first half of 2026

Retail construction starts have fallen sharply amid rising costs. That's according to a forecast from CoStar, a global provider of online real estate marketplaces company, information and analytics in the property markets. Following positive demand and a slowdown in store closures during the third quarter of 2025, the near-term U.S. retail outlook includes a rise in vacancy rates through the first half of 2026.