The Center for Business Analytics (CBA) at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota invites students, alumni, and professionals to a live webinar exploring how data drives grocery and retail location decisions.
Site Selection and Retail Real Estate Analytics: How Grocers Make Location Decisions
Date: Monday, January 12, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (CST)
Format: Free, online via Zoom
Registration: https://smumn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nmbWq_eHT9KvWBnRDNWgHQ
Speaker:
Jake Johnson ’10, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota alumnus
Commercial Real Estate | Market Analytics & Site Selection
Currently with Trinity Commercial Group
Former experience with RetailStat and Target
About the Program:
How do grocery chains decide where to open, expand, or close stores? Why do some locations outperform others, even within the same market?
In this applied session, Jake Johnson ’10 shares how grocers and retail real estate teams use demographic data, traffic patterns, trade areas, and competitive analysis to make location decisions. Drawing from both analytics and brokerage experience, Jake will highlight how data and on-the-ground real estate insight work together in modern site selection.
Topics include:
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How grocers evaluate trade areas and competition
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The impact of inflation and value-driven shopping behavior
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Omnichannel grocery and its effect on store design
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The role of GIS, mobility data, and AI in retail analytics
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A real-world case study on discounter expansion
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Career paths at the intersection of analytics and real estate
This webinar is ideal for students interested in analytics, business intelligence, real estate, and applied data careers, as well as alumni and professionals seeking real-world insights into data-driven decision-making.
