Charleston Retail Market Report

Limited new supply and stable demand maintain tight conditions. Charleston’s retail market enters 2026 with a vacancy rate that remains among the lowest in major markets. Annual net absorption last year nearly matched the prior two years, despite slightly weaker leasing activity in single-tenant properties, primarily those over 10,000 square feet. This trend may persist in the near term, as lease signings in late 2025 trailed those in the same period in 2024, with only a handful of leases signed above 10,000 square feet. Geographically, focused demand in the CBD continues to be illustrated by asking rents priced more than 70 percent above the metro average. Well-located properties along key transportation routes in suburban pockets such as Summerville, Goose Creek, and West Ashley will likely continue to post positive net absorption in the coming year. Metrowide, the narrowest construction pipeline since at least 2007 is expected to keep conditions exceptionally tight.