Jon Wheeler, CEO of Wheeler REIT Investment Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ: WHLR), joined Nareit for a video interview at REITworld 2017.
Wheeler REIT’s portfolio consists of retail properties in secondary and tertiary markets located in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States.
Wheeler explained that the company’s goal in 2018 is to be a “performance company” and a “show me” stock. Following the acquisition of 23 assets in 2016, “2017 has been all about performance, and 2018 will be as well,” he said.
Grocery stores and drug stores are the primary drivers of traffic to the company’s assets, Wheeler said.
As for future trends, Wheeler said he expects retailers to follow the recent move by Walmart to raise prices online in order to drive in-store traffic.