Retail Real Estate Innovation and Strategy with Tanger's Justin Stein

The Dealmakers’ Edge with A.Y. Strauss

With over two decades in retail real estate, Justin Stein brings a unique perspective on how the industry has transformed—and where it's heading next. As Executive Vice President of Leasing at Tanger, he's been instrumental in the company's evolution from a legacy outlet operator to a dynamic, diversified portfolio of open-air shopping centers that blend outlet and full-price retail with experiential destinations.

In this episode of The Dealmakers' Edge, Justin shares how Tanger navigated its transformation during the challenging COVID era, building a new executive team while every store was closed. He discusses the strategic expansion into lifestyle centers through acquisitions like Bridge Street Town Centre, The Promenade, and Pinecrest, the critical importance of food and beverage in driving traffic and extending dwell time, and how technology and data analytics are reshaping the tenant experience. Justin also opens up about the soft skills that separate great leasing professionals from good ones—treating every lease as the beginning of a partnership, not the end of a transaction.

2:47 - Justin's unconventional entry into real estate from his buddy's couch to CBRE industrial

3:56 - Tanger's history and the bold transformation under CEO Stephen Yalof during COVID

7:06 - Strategic evolution from outlet-only to full-price retail with lifestyle center acquisitions

9:06 - Key takeaways from this year's ICSC Vegas conference and the optimistic mood

11:56 - How Tanger stays ahead of retail trends through strategic reinvestment and partnerships

13:47 - Portfolio diversification beyond footwear and apparel into F&B and entertainment

16:05 - The Nashville development as a blueprint for placemaking and experiential retail

18:28 - Technology integration through the loyalty app and omnichannel strategies

22:50 - Building long-term brand partnerships versus transactional lease deals

25:01 - What's changed in retailer conversations about opening new stores

26:41 - Tanger's growth plans and expansion into new markets and categories

30:57 - Career advice: doing what you love and leaving everything on the field

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Chapters

1. Retail Real Estate Innovation and Strategy with Tanger's Justin Stein (00:00:00)

2. Justin's unconventional entry into real estate from his buddy's couch to CBRE industrial (00:02:47)

3. Tanger's history and the bold transformation under CEO Stephen Yalof during COVID (00:03:56)

4. Strategic evolution from outlet-only to full-price retail with lifestyle center acquisitions (00:07:06)

5. Key takeaways from this year's ICSC Vegas conference and the optimistic mood (00:09:06)

6. How Tanger stays ahead of retail trends through strategic reinvestment and partnerships (00:11:56)

7. Portfolio diversification beyond footwear and apparel into F&B and entertainment (00:13:47)

8. The Nashville development as a blueprint for placemaking and experiential retail (00:16:05)

9. Technology integration through the loyalty app and omnichannel strategies (00:18:28)

10. Building long-term brand partnerships versus transactional lease deals (00:22:50)

11. What's changed in retailer conversations about opening new stores (00:25:01)

12. Tanger's growth plans and expansion into new markets and categories (00:26:41)

13. Career advice: doing what you love and leaving everything on the field (00:30:57)