Hyper local – One of the most defining characteristics of Omaha’s retail market is how hyper-localized both sales velocity and sale price have become. Location premiums are not being measured by submarket, but by specific corridor. Properties positioned directly along major thoroughfares such as West Maple Road, Highway 370, 204th Street, and West Dodge Road consistently outperform comparable assets, even those only one mile away.

In many cases, properties located on these major corridors are receiving sale and lease prices that are twice as high as similar properties in less-central areas.. And similar properties just outside these trade areas experience frustratingly longer marketing timelines and much lower valuations.

A major driver of this outperformance has been the continued activity and expansion of grocery anchors, particularly Baker’s and Hy-Vee, along these major thoroughfares. Not to mention the continued expansion of large format sporting facilities that are joining alongside them. These grocers and large format operators provide daily-needs traffic, long-term tenancy, and strong co-tenancy appeal, which in turn accelerates leasing and sales activity.

Trendy businesses – Omaha’s retail landscape in 2025 was also shaped by the expansion of trend-driven retail concepts. These included Ziggies, 7 Brew Coffee, and Hyper Energy Bar. These operators continue to pursue aggressive growth strategies, favoring highly visible corner sites and major corridors that support strong traffic counts and quick in-and-out access. Even though some people still see these concepts as fads, their rapid growth has created strong demand for small pads and outlots. This has already pushed land values up and is making top retail sites more competitive.

Bank Movement – Financial institutions have remained highly active, driven by a combination of consolidation, strategic relocations, and new headquarters development. Some examples include:

• new headquarters for Northwest Bank on West Dodge Road, and the subsequent offerings of their two branch locations
• new headquarters for Bankers Trust on West Dodge Road
• new branch locations for Bank of America, Chase Bank, Charter West Bank, Security First Bank, Centris Federal Credit Union and Green State Credit Union

One of the larger surprises in our market was seeing the announcement that an Omaha mainstay, American National Bank, will be merging with Associated Bank, N.A., based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This will give the newly formed entity the number two spot in Omaha for market share of deposits.

Banks have been active on both sides of the market, selling surplus real estate while also investing in modern, highly visible branches and corporate offices that fit today’s customer-engagement models. This activity has added to the overall transaction volume, especially along major corridors where visibility and access matter most.

Experiential & Service-Oriented Retail Resilience – Beyond traditional soft-goods retail stores, Omaha continues to see strong performance from experiential and service-based businesses that are less affected by online shopping. Fitness concepts, indoor recreation centers, medical and wellness clinics, childcare, salons, and food-adjacent service users are all driving absorption in both neighborhood centers and mixed-use developments. These tenants prioritize convenience, parking, and visibility over raw square footage, and they benefit from repeat, appointment-based traffic rather than discretionary spending cycles. As a result, centers anchored by daily-use services are showing stronger occupancy stability, lower rollover risk, and more predictable income streams – making them increasingly attractive to both investors and lenders in today’s market.

This article appeared in our company newsletter in March 2026. Please click here to download the entire newsletter.