Mid-America Real Estate Corporation‘s biennial Urban Grocery Study, recently published, shows that the Chicago grocery sector showed a net loss of five stores from 2013 to 2015, but a modest gain of 140,000 square feet due to newer openings dominated by larger format stores. The average store size for new openings and absorption has increased from 35,000 square feet in 2013 to 46,000 square feet currently.
Dan Tausk, Mid-America principal and director of urban tenant brokerage who is author of the study along with intern Matt Westhaver, said the total operating grocery footprint in urban Chicago is 9.86 million square feet with southwest suburbs, 15.3 square feet per household, and west suburbs, 13.3 square feet per household, leading in existing penetration.
He said the most dramatically underserved areas continue to be the south and southeast regions of the city of Chicago at only 3 square feet per household and the west region of the city at 4.3 square feet per household.
The market leaders by store count remain Aldi with 51 stores and Jewel Osco with 49.
