Connect Canada CRE • January 29, 2026
Calgary’s retail-property inventory expanded by nearly 700,000 square feet in 2025, reflecting a year of steady new supply amid tightening market conditions, says a new report from Barclay Street Real Estate.
According to the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 market analysis, total retail inventory reached approximately 45.6 million square feet by year end, with new space delivered through a series of mixed-use and street-front developments across the city. Notable completions included EV606, The Mondrian, Frontier, Junction 88 & Block C, Fourth Street Lofts and The Podium.
Despite the increase in inventory, overall retail vacancy declined to 3.4% in the fourth quarter, marking a 90-basis-point improvement year-over-year and keeping available space below what the brokerage considers a balanced market threshold of 2 msf. The tightening supply has begun to place upward pressure on rental rates in several retail nodes.
New development continues to favour smaller-format units, typically ranging from 1,000 to 3,500 sf, aligning with demand from service-based and neighbourhood-oriented retailers. Additional retail space remains in the pipeline, with many projects expected to complete in 2026 or early 2027, including Vesta Properties’ Broadway on 17th mixed-use development in the Beltline, which will include about 70,000 square feet of retail space.
Barclay Street reported that overall retail occupancy rose 130 basis points year over year, with vacancy declines recorded across most city quadrants. The southwest was the lone exception, posting a modest increase in vacancy. The firm noted that expansion activity remains concentrated among service-based and value-oriented retailers, particularly in Calgary’s eastern areas.
