Members of generation Y – some 80 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 35 – may be always-connected, but they still do most of their shopping in stores. Viewing shopping as an experience and opportunity to socialize with friends and family, gen Y consumers are always looking for something new and exciting. From providing pet accommodations to encouraging pop-up stores and restaurants, retailers, developers, owners, and investors must take new approaches to engage members of gen Y and gain their loyalty.

In one of the Washington metropolitan area’s largest industrial portfolio acquisitions this year, a partnership led by Willco Companies of Potomac, MD has acquired approximately 285,000 square feet of flex-industrial space at Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, MD for $30 million. The sellers, Zarpas 1 through 5 Limited Partnerships, were represented by the Washington, DC …