Fall 2026 forecast: New Hampshire retail market - by Andrew Levy

Well folks, once again, summer is coming to an end, but we are looking forward to a fall filled with apple-picking and comfortable weather!

The last six+ months have certainly been an interesting business environment with the turmoil and uncertainty of the Iran war, our tariff policy, ICE, AI, data centers, unsettled weather, i.e. heatwaves, wildfires, flooding, etc. Even the Hoover dam is running out of water and the Grand Canyon is flooding. Higher inflation is a major concern, and has impacted the costs of food, gasoline, utility prices, rent, interest rates, car loans, and credit card debt. Today’s home mortgage rates are back around 6%. Major retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Target, Home Depot & Lowes are benefiting from bargain conscious consumers. The stock market continues to set new weekly records. The dichotomy of two different worlds: the haves, and have-nots have never been more evident. Fortunately, retail in New Hampshire has been very busy.

Fast food restaurants are competing hard to win customers with the lowest price offerings and value meals. I guess sometimes all we really need is that hamburger and fries to calm us down and feel better about life. The biggest surge has been the proliferation of coffee shops – not just Dunkin, though Dunkin has opened several – both free standing and in new gas stations. Aroma Joes is expanding, as is Heavenly Donuts, and Cafe Nero will open in Tucson Village. But true to New Hampshire’s roots most are small Mom & Pop businesses that have great coffee and pastries and fiercely loyal customers. Friendly Toast is in Arts Alley in Concord. Chef Bobby Marcotte of Tuckaway Tavern fame is working on the Grindhouse Meat Co. ground-up construction in Derry off of Crystal Ave. and The Common Man has opened in the former Wendy’s. Last week Rich Garafola in our office sold a parcel of land on Crystal Ave. with Jay Wise to Washville Car Wash.

Existing vacancies have been filled with NH State Liquor stores, Urgent Care Centers, med spas, dermatologists (Optima has opened in Bedford and the north end of Manchester), dog groomers, vape shops, and new restaurant concepts. Some of these include multiple startup pizza, Mexican, and Asian concepts. Chase Banks continues to open new branches in Bedford, Nashua, and Londonderry. New Hampshire now has its first Anna Taqueria (voted favorite Taco place in Boston) in Concord at Eddy Rd. Plaza. First Watch has opened at Webster Square in Nashua in the prime Davids Bridal unit (which relocated to the Nashua Mall. Ollies Bargain Outlet has opened in two former Big Lots in Belmont and Amherst St. in Nashua. Also in Nashua Urban Air opened in the former Christmas Tree Shops.

The big news is the re-tenanting of a dozen shuttered Rite Aids throughout the state. These assignments have been given to a select few prominent New Hampshire brokerages including Colliers, Sperry Van Ness, and Verani Realty. We sold the Amherst St., Nashua location to a specialty dentist, the North Elm St. store is the new home of a NH Wine & Liquor store, a medical group of CMC has purchased the McGregor St. site next to the hospital, Parkland Urgent Care is redeveloping the north Broadway site in Salem, and the other Salem site on Main St. in Salem is under agreement. Reddies Fish Market opened in downtown Manchester, and Aquatic Mikes has opened at Eastside Plaza.

The other big users are NH Charitable Gaming. New casinos are being developed and built in Manchester: Revo, Nashua-Gate City Casino’s a major renovation/expansion at the Sheraton Tara Hotel property, joining The Nash Casino at the Pheasant Lane Mall, and the conversion of big box retailer Lord & Taylor at the Mall at Rockingham Mall in Salem to be rebranded as Rockingham Grand Casino, and the Lilac Casino Club has opened at the Lilac Mall in Rochester.

There are several new retail developments ongoing including Merchants Way at Exit 17, I-93 in Penacook anchored by Market Basket, NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, and Home Goods.

Tuscan Village in Salem continues to add apartments, specialty retail and restaurants. The Steeplegate Mall on Loudon Rd. in Concord continues to pursue approvals, with plans to bring Costco in addition to more apartments and specialty retail.

Torrington Properties plans to raze all of the Mall at Fox Run in Newington and add big box stores, smaller shops and restaurants as part of a $500 million redevelopment plan and rename the center. They also own the adjacent Newington Park Shopping Center. Last year they purchased Fort Eddy Plaza in Concord.

In Bedford, the next phase of Main & Marketplace has opened bringing us Sephora, Charles Schwab, Sweetgreens, Tavern on the Green, and Collective Studios high end Yoga and Fitness.

Overall, occupancy rates for shopping centers (both grocery-anchored and neighborhood) exceed 90%, and we are now seeing asking rents climbing in the most prime locations in Salem, Nashua, Bedford and Portsmouth exceeding $30 per s/f NNN.

On Amherst St. in Nashua the LAW Transportation property and the former Leda Lanes has been redeveloped into three retail buildings. The lead tenants to date include an urgent care center, Evviva Trattoria, and Cava. Tuscan Village in Salem continues to add apartments, specialty retail and restaurants.

Shaw’s Belknap Marketplace on DWH in Belmont is 90% leased though the former bank pad redevelopment site is still available. We have brought North Broadway Crossing in Salem to 100% lease up with Club Pilates the newest tenant. 166 DWH in Nashua was fully leased with the addition of Sola Salon and Nashua Bingo and has been sold.

Overall, occupancy rates for shopping centers (both grocery-anchored and neighborhood) exceed 90%, and we are now seeing rents climbing in the most prime locations exceeding $30 +/- per s/f NNN. Woodmont Commons off Rte. 102 at exit 4 in Londonderry just added a new medical building, already completely leased. Construction at the new exit 4A project in Londonderry/Derry is moving forward under construction and when completed in a few years, it will open up acreage for more opportunities.

I was just given the site selection assignment in New Hampshire to find sites for Family Dollar in select markets. Chris McMahon and Travis Ginsberg of Summit Realty has the Mass. account.

All of these factors make me confident to say my forecast for New Hampshire’s Fall 2026 NH Retail Market, is that we are on track to have a strong fall with Halloween just around the corner, and looking forward to a robust Christmas season!

Andrew Levy, CCIM, is the senior manager of retail at the commercial division of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services|Verani Realty, Londonderry N.H.