Retail

Walnut Creek continues to be recognized as a premier shopping destination in Northern California. With Mt. Diablo as its backdrop, Walnut Creek is a vibrant city offering an abundance of enticing shopping and dining selections in a modern, upscale environment fused with historic charm and a laid-back California hometown vibe.

A recent study found that Walnut Creek has maintained its strong retail brand and status as a regional destination. It is emerging as a strong draw for high-end and popular new retail and restaurant concepts. Vacancies are at a healthy level (less than 10%) allowing room for new concepts to rotate in.

Downtown Retail and Restaurant District

Walnut Creek offers a unique walkable downtown experience with its charming Historic Core Downtown anchored by a high-end open-air mall. The area is easily accessible from Highway 24 and I-680 with an abundance of convenient parking. Everyone can enjoy the vibrant energy exploring a curated selection of retail and restaurants offerings, as well as regional arts attractions. Soak in the mix of architectural styles from historic brick buildings to modern luxury. 

New residents and residential development keep the energy flowing to well-recognized national and regional retailers at Broadway Plaza, home to favorites such as Nordstrom and Apple. Shoppers can end the day by enjoying any of Downtown’s diverse number of restaurants — everything from fast casual to gourmet.  

Using car, bus, or rail, downtown Walnut Creek is easy to get to, and remains a hub for shopping, dining, and entertainment for the entire East Bay. Downtown’s convenient location near the BART Transit Hub and the freeway onramp, plus a free downtown trolley, ensures that Walnut Creek residents and regional visitors can easily patronize downtown businesses.

Downtown Walnut Creek Highlights

• Walkable score of 85, the same as San Francisco and New York City
• Free trolley and convenient location near BART and a freeway onramp
• Expanded outdoor dining program
• 2.5 million square feet of shopping, dining and regional arts
• 2.7 million square feet of professional offices

Downtown Walnut Creek’s Unique Opportunities for Retailers

The City of Walnut Creeks' 2022 Retail Strategy Study revealed multiple key factors that define the city's exceptional retail opportunities and strengths.

• Consumer demand: With its central, easily accessible location drawing on a large and demographically desirable trade area, as well as its critical mass of upmarket comparison goods stores, Downtown Walnut Creek remains the premier shopping destination in the San Francisco East Bay, a region boasting a population of 2.5 million.
• Tenant demand: With its superior co-tenancy and critical mass, Downtown Walnut Creek remains the first choice for most brands looking to expand to San Francisco’s East Bay and the one most likely to benefit from any sort of “flight to quality.”
• Expansion-minded retailers: There are many tenants on the hunt for new store locations, even in supposedly doomed categories like apparel, and they can find the opportunities they're looking for in Walnut Creek.
• Food, beverage, and entertainment: Downtown Walnut Creek has emerged as a bona fide dining destination in the last couple of decades and continued to evolve with the trends.

Read the full Retail Strategy Study to learn more about the strength of and opportunities for retail in Walnut Creek.

Walnut Creek Shopping Profile: Above Average Lifestyle Spending

Walnut Creek residents spend more than 75% above the national average, according to Esri in 2022. The Spending Potential Index average is 100.

Annual Household Spending

• Apparel and services: $4,233
• Computers and hardware: $363
• Eating out: $7,697
• Groceries: $10,807
• Healthcare $12,306

Psychographic Segmentation

Psychographic segmentation is a type of market segmentation that pays attention to consumers’ habits based on general interests and personality traits. Walnut Creek shoppers fall into these categories, as assigned by Esri:

• Top Tier: mature, married, highly educated, and wealthy.
  • 13% of total households; 4,213 households
• Urban Chic: Sophisticated, exclusive lifestyle, focused more on their lifestyle than ambience.
  • 17.5% of total households; 5,666 households
• The Elders: Informed, independent, and involved seniors.
  • 19.4% of total households; 6,302 households

Shopping and Dining Plazas

Walnut Creek’s plentiful retail space includes multiple beautiful, modern and well-maintained plazas that attract both residents and visitors from around the East Bay.