The holidays are just around the corner, and what better way to kick off the season then a visit to one of Calgary's trendy, inner-city neighbourhoods to stroll through a collection of locally owned ateliers, art galleries and vintage stores.

According to Calgary business improvement associations (BIAs), local shopping is expected to be popular this year, and retailers in inner-city shopping districts are primed for an influx of visitors.

Named after the French novelist and playwright Honore de Balzac, the tiny hamlet of Balzac, located just north of Calgary, is so small that its population doesn't even crack double digits. However, it packs a wallop when it comes to commercial development.

As visions of a green Christmas danced in their heads, cannabis companies scrambled to secure retail locations in Calgary during the lead up to legalization and the aftermath. While some might say "the more, the merrier," others are left to wonder about the long-term impact of this increased demand on the city's commercial real estate market.

To buy or to lease? That is the question for business owners today.

When it comes to finding a home for a business, the option of buying the space rather than leasing it is one that many are taking more seriously these days.

Franchise businesses in Canada contribute almost $100 billion annually to the economy and generate jobs for 1.8 million people, according to the Canadian Franchise Association.

Owning a franchise can also be a solid investment, provided a person does their due diligence before signing on the dotted line.

With office vacancy rates in Calgary still at near-peak levels, companies are converting entire office towers into residential buildings to appeal to a different type of tenant.

Industrial real estate market hopes to maintain momentum in 2018

When it comes to the Calgary commercial real estate market, downtown office space grabs all the headlines.
Just like in sports, where star players occupy the limelight and grinders are often overlooked, the struggles of the downtown office market continue to dominate discussions of commercial real estate, while the industrial sector has quietly weathered the economic storm over the past three years.

Calgary's commercial real estate market could be poised for a rebound in 2018

All eyes will be on Calgary's commercial real estate market this year, with hopes that the downtown office sector, which continued to struggle in 2017, will rebound in 2018.

The office market has grabbed everyone's attention over the past three years, as vacancy rates have soared to historically high levels following the collapse of oil prices and the subsequent waves of layoffs that ravaged employment ranks in downtown Calgary. Thousands of people were cut loose, and a vast amount of office space suddenly became vacant in the downtown core.

New HQ or not, e-commerce giant's impact is already being felt

Let's call it the "Amazon effect": the cascading economic stimulation that comes from one of the world's largest corporations taking up residence in your market.

It is an effect already being felt in the Calgary region after the announcement that the e-commerce giant will be opening a 600,000-square-foot distribution centre in Balzac – employing 750 full-time workers, and an additional 450 part-time or seasonally, by the end of 2018.