Retail is changing faster than ever, but the value of physical space has not disappeared. It has evolved. As AI reshapes how customers discover, compare, and make decisions, stores are no longer just points of transaction. They are becoming places of confirmation, trust-building, brand differentiation, and real-time learning.

In this episode of Unlocking Value with Ozzie Nelson, Ozzie is joined by Kate Ancketill, CEO and Founder of GDR Creative Intelligence, and Ray Ehscheid, NELSON Principal, Retail, for a conversation on the forces reshaping retail and the built environment. Drawing from global trend intelligence, design strategy, and business perspective, the discussion explores what recent industry shifts from NRF to EuroShop reveal about the future of customer experience.

Together, they examine how physical retail must respond to pre-informed, AI-assisted customers, the rise of resale and recommerce, evolving workforce needs, and the increasing pressure for stores to perform beyond sales alone. The conversation reframes the store as a strategic environment that validates choice, accelerates confidence, and creates continuous feedback for brands investing in the future of retail.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Cold storage development
• Industrial real estate strategy
• Cold chain logistics
• Operational facility design
• Industrial asset optimization

Find out more about NELSON Worldwide: https://nelsonworldwide.com/

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Profitable cold storage development starts long before a shovel hits the dirt; it begins with understanding that temperature-controlled facilities are highly complex operational ecosystems, not just standard industrial boxes.

Dave Aschenbrand, Strategic Services Advisory Lead for the Cold Chain Practice at Newmark, shares how developers can navigate shifting market vacancies and avoid the costly trap of building speculative "vanilla" facilities. Drawing on over 25 years of logistics experience, he explains the danger of selecting sites strictly through a financial spreadsheet lens, emphasizing that a failure to analyze specific regional population pockets and infrastructure limits will drive supply chain costs sky-high. The discussion highlights the unforgiving nature of cold chain infrastructure, where tight construction tolerances, vapor barriers, and specialized slab design leave zero margin for error. Together with Adam Bortz, they explore how minor site constraints, like narrow dock doors that disrupt USDA inspections or inadequate turning radii, create domino-effect bottlenecks that quietly erode tenant profitability and asset value.

The conversation also looks ahead to how early collaboration with subject matter experts can balance flexible building adaptation with specialized automation to stop the bleeding of inefficient vacancy and unlock true real estate value.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Cold storage development
• Industrial real estate strategy
• Cold chain logistics
• Operational facility design
• Industrial asset optimization

Find out more about NELSON Worldwide: https://nelsonworldwide.com/

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts:
We hope you’re Unlocking Value in this podcast with Ozzie Nelson. Your feedback is important to us and we’d love to hear from you.

Here’s how you can help. Scroll to the bottom, rate our podcast with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Let us know what you found most helpful from this episode!

And if you haven’t done so already, give the podcast a follow, and you'll be notified when new episodes come out.

Great pediatric care starts long before a clinician enters the room; it begins with the environment families walk into during some of their most stressful moments.

Wayne Brackin, President and CEO of Kidz Medical Services, shares how thoughtful design can calm anxious parents and support clinicians by moving beyond clinical appearances to create warmer, home-like spaces. Drawing on decades of experience, he explains the danger of over-stimulating environments that mimic amusement centers, emphasizing that children in serious situations need a sense of calm rather than a "Disney" type of experience. The discussion also highlights the critical need for infrastructure redundancy and emergency power in outpatient facilities to ensure that life-altering storms do not interrupt essential pediatric treatments. Together with Rolando Essa, they explore how strategic choices in wayfinding, natural light, and floor-plate efficiency quietly improve medical outcomes and reduce stress for everyone in the building.

The conversation also looks ahead to mixed-use healthcare developments, workforce housing, and how early design decisions create long-term value for communities, care teams, and the children they serve.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• pediatric healthcare design
• healthcare facility design
• healthcare resilience planning
• mixed-use healthcare development
• pediatric patient experience

Find out more about NELSON Worldwide: https://nelsonworldwide.com/

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts:

We hope you’re Unlocking Value in this podcast with Ozzie Nelson. Your feedback is important to us and we’d love to hear from you.

Here’s how you can help. Scroll to the bottom, rate our podcast with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Let us know what you found most helpful from this episode!

And if you haven’t done so already, give the podcast a follow, and you'll be notified when new episodes come out.