ISLA VISTA- Amazon recently opened a physical store at 6533 Trigo Rd in Isla Vista. This addition to the student-dense community is a pick-up and return center where students and nearby residents can order and pick up their package on the same day. Michael Martz of Hayes Commercial Group partnered with Cushman & Wakefield to represent Amazon in leasing the 2,751 SF space along The Loop.

Amazon has opened four similar stores around colleges in 2015. “It’s intriguing to see a company that has become the paragon of online retail adding brick-and-mortar stores to its strategy,” Martz said. “This is a great resource for students, many of whom live in shared housing where receiving parcels can be problematic.”

Retail leasing in the Isla Vista submarket has been limited in 2015. The vacancy rate is low and there has been virtually no new retail construction since the completion of The LOOP and ICON Gardens projects. “Finding and securing a prime location for Amazon took patience and a lot of digging,” Martz said. “Ultimately we found a great space and a landlord excited to work with us to finalize a lease.”