The New Retail Playbook: Strategy, Tenants, and Traffic with Rod Castan
Wed Feb 04 2026
Retail real estate has changed—but it’s far from dead. In fact, according to retail expert Rod Castan, the sector is stronger and smarter than ever when approached strategically. In this episode of Fried On Business, Jim Fried sits down with Rod to break down what’s really happening in today’s retail market and why experience, not just square footage, now drives performance.
Rod explains how the old model of filling space with any tenant willing to sign a lease no longer works. Today’s successful retail centers are curated. Landlords must think like operators, not just owners—focusing on tenant mix, customer flow, and creating destinations that give people a reason to visit in person rather than shop online. Restaurants, fitness concepts, service businesses, and experiential retailers are now anchors just as much as traditional stores.
The conversation dives into how e-commerce didn’t kill retail—it forced it to evolve. Rod shares how omnichannel brands use physical space to build relationships and how brick-and-mortar locations increasingly function as marketing platforms, fulfillment hubs, and community gathering spaces. Jim and Rod also discuss the importance of understanding demographics, local demand, and foot traffic patterns when underwriting deals.
Listeners will learn how thoughtful leasing strategies, flexible deal structures, and long-term partnerships with tenants create resilience through market cycles. Rod highlights why landlords who invest in placemaking and customer experience consistently outperform those focused solely on rent per square foot.
Whether you’re an investor, developer, broker, or business owner, this episode provides a grounded look at how retail real estate is adapting—and why the right strategy can still generate strong, durable returns.
This episode of Fried on Business is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Warren Henry Auto Group.
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Jim Fried has been a real estate business person since 1980 and has had his own radio show since 2009.
Mr. Fried specializes in capitalizing commercial real estate transactions, unearthing urban land opportunities and is also a private lender.
He has been active in the real estate industry for many years as a financial intermediary, broker and investor. He has experience with many property types including, but not limited to: apartments, condominiums, retail centers, office buildings, industrial parks and health care – with a special focus on memory care.
Jim has closed over $3BB in real estate transactions during his career in markets across the eastern US.
Jim uses his communication skills to inform and entertain on his weekly podcast show – Fried on Business. Of course, the show discusses real estate, but he also tackles issues such as branding, sports business, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, public private partnerships as well as health and wellness.
He is also a mentor to many up and coming people in the real estate industry through his membership on the Board of The University of Florida’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies.
Mr. Fried is a winner of the Miami-Dade Public School Alumni Achievement Award.
Contact Jim via email at jim@friedonbusiness.com
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Retail real estate has changed—but it’s far from dead. In fact, according to retail expert Rod Castan, the sector is stronger and smarter than ever when approached strategically. In this episode of Fried On Business, Jim Fried sits down with Rod to break down what’s really happening in today’s retail market and why experience, not just square footage, now drives performance. Rod explains how the old model of filling space with any tenant willing to sign a lease no longer works. Today’s successful retail centers are curated. Landlords must think like operators, not just owners—focusing on tenant mix, customer flow, and creating destinations that give people a reason to visit in person rather than shop online. Restaurants, fitness concepts, service businesses, and experiential retailers are now anchors just as much as traditional stores. The conversation dives into how e-commerce didn’t kill retail—it forced it to evolve. Rod shares how omnichannel brands use physical space to build relationships and how brick-and-mortar locations increasingly function as marketing platforms, fulfillment hubs, and community gathering spaces. Jim and Rod also discuss the importance of understanding demographics, local demand, and foot traffic patterns when underwriting deals. Listeners will learn how thoughtful leasing strategies, flexible deal structures, and long-term partnerships with tenants create resilience through market cycles. Rod highlights why landlords who invest in placemaking and customer experience consistently outperform those focused solely on rent per square foot. Whether you’re an investor, developer, broker, or business owner, this episode provides a grounded look at how retail real estate is adapting—and why the right strategy can still generate strong, durable returns. This episode of Fried on Business is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Warren Henry Auto Group. --------------------- Jim Fried has been a real estate business person since 1980 and has had his own radio show since 2009. Mr. Fried specializes in capitalizing commercial real estate transactions, unearthing urban land opportunities and is also a private lender. He has been active in the real estate industry for many years as a financial intermediary, broker and investor. He has experience with many property types including, but not limited to: apartments, condominiums, retail centers, office buildings, industrial parks and health care – with a special focus on memory care. Jim has closed over $3BB in real estate transactions during his career in markets across the eastern US. Jim uses his communication skills to inform and entertain on his weekly podcast show – Fried on Business. Of course, the show discusses real estate, but he also tackles issues such as branding, sports business, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, public private partnerships as well as health and wellness. He is also a mentor to many up and coming people in the real estate industry through his membership on the Board of The University of Florida’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies. Mr. Fried is a winner of the Miami-Dade Public School Alumni Achievement Award. Contact Jim via email at jim@friedonbusiness.com