By: Rob Sieban, President, CEO and Co-Owner of United Flea Markets

Who doesn’t love a good flea market? A huge place you can wander and practically get lost in for hours, full of deals and potentially magical finds — it doesn’t get much better than that.

At Tanque Verde Swap Meet we have 800 vendor spaces on 33 acres where we welcome well over a million visitors a year. In fact, it’s one of the largest outdoor marketplaces in southern Arizona.

While Tanque Verde has been a fixture in Tuscon since 1975 and there’s a fantastic local following, we want to be sure we’re giving our guests reasons to come back again and again.

Here are three trends we’re keeping our eye on in the flea market industry and putting it into action in Tucson:

1. Resale popularity will continue to grow

Research has shown that traffic is down in conventional brick-and-mortar retail stores, with consumers seeking alternate avenues for their spending dollars and showing a desire to choose their purchases with sustainability in mind. At the same time, the flea market business has been stable with an expected upward trajectory in 2020. According to Forbes, resale activity represents $24 billion industry and threatens both traditional brick-and-mortar retail sales and internet sales. The market is projected to continue to grow and hit $51 billion by 2023, which is good news for those of us in the flea market, consignment and resale businesses.

2. Adapting to a new generation of consumers will be key

Today’s younger consumers – Millennials and Gen Z – are smart, frugal, and socially and environmentally conscious. Ostentatious over-spending is not for them. Younger generations have a heightened desire for vintage and repurposed merchandise rather than purchasing mass-produced, foreign-made items through big-box retailers. One-of-a-kind offerings are paramount with today’s younger consumers, even when it comes to gift giving. In 2020 Flea markets will continue to evolve to provide amenities and offerings that younger consumer are looking for, including a great time searching for the perfect treasure.

3. Experience will continue to matter

A big sale is no longer enough to attract today’s consumer. Flea markets are inherently experiential, with many offering live music, pop-up events, a wide variety of food choices, kids rides, farmer’s markets and more. Changing consumer demands that require more than just a sale will allow flea markets to continue to prosper by offering experiences not found elsewhere.

Shoppers are evolving and time has become the most precious commodity. With limited free time, consumers will become even more selective about how they spend that time. In 2020, flea market operators and vendors will need to continue to up their game, providing their guests and customers with the experiences they seek in environments that entertain, provide a diverse menu that is pertinent to the region, and offer unique finds for the shopper. Our goal is to make each visitor to Tanque Verde Swap Meet feel like the opportunities for discovery are endless.

Robert Sieban – President, CEO and Owner, United Flea Markets which owns Tanque Verde Swap Meet: Rob serves as a past president and chairman of the National Flea Market Association Board of Directors. He earned his on-the-ground credentials starting in 2011 when he took over the leadership as CEO and operator of Denver’s Mile High Flea Market, the third-largest outdoor flea market in the nation. Throughout his 20-plus years in the retail environment, Rob has held several leadership positions in buying and merchandise planning and allocation; worked directly with many large and small private-equity firms; and served as an officer of publicly traded companies. Rob also held executive positions in the direct-to-consumer market, with a concentration on scalable platforms, most notably at Sunglass Hut International and Lids Corp, which experienced worldwide growth during his tenure.

Dolce Villagio Townhomes Near ASU Provide Buyer with Repositioning Opportunity

Phoenix, Arizona – Bascom Arizona Ventures, LLC has purchased the Dolce Villagio rental townhome community at 202 S. Hardy Dr. in Tempe for $11.5 million ($311,000 per unit).  The company plans to modernize and reposition the property, which is close to Arizona State University.

“The Dolce Villagio townhomes are in one of the most dynamic submarkets in the state, within walking distance to ASU and the thriving northern Tempe employment hub,” says Chris Roach, associate vice president with Colliers International in Arizona.  “The property is also nestled in a neighborhood with high barriers to entry based on zoning and density restrictions.  The buyer recognizes the ability to reposition the property with contemporary, luxury finishes to enhance the condo-quality design of the asset.”

Bascom Arizona Ventures purchased the property from Gary Phillips, an Arizona-based private investor.  Chris Roach, Matt Roach, and Brad Cooke of Colliers International in Arizona negotiated the transaction.

Constructed in 2007, Dolce Villagio is comprised of 37 garden-style townhomes that were individually parceled but never sold as condominiums.  The expansive floorplans average 1,423-square-feet and offer direct access to two-car garages.  The two- and three-bedroom units were 85 percent occupied at the time of the sale.  This community is walking distance to the ASU Main Campus, Tempe Town Lake, Phoenix Metro Light Rail, Tempe Street Car, and a recently opened Whole Foods.

This particular submarket has experienced a 7.9 percent year-over-year rent growth and  resides in one of Arizona’s highly sought-after tax-savings designated Opportunity Zones. This designation will promote further economic growth in the area.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Sundt’s Vice President and Tucson Regional Director Ian McDowell and Project Director Dave Ollanik have been selected to head two different Tucson organizations. McDowell will serve as the Vice Chairman for the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in 2020, moving to the position of Chairman in 2021. Ollanik has been appointed chairman of the Metropolitan Pima Alliance Board.

McDowell has served as a member of the Tucson Metro Chamber’s Board of Directors for the past four years. A 25-year veteran of the construction industry, he has volunteered his time in various industry and community leadership roles across Southern Arizona, including Board of Director roles with Sun Corridor, Inc., the Arizona Bowl, and the January 8th Foundation.  He is also an active volunteer with the civil engineering department at the University of Arizona and is a member of various committees within the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC). McDowell oversees building operations in Southern Arizona for Sundt. In his tenure with the company, he has been involved in hundreds of projects in Southern Arizona, including Sundt’s award-winning renovation of Old Main on the University of Arizona campus, the new Pima Animal Care Center and the construction of the Tucson Mining Center for Caterpillar. McDowell earned his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from New Mexico State University and his MBA from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona.

Entering his eighth year as a member of the Metropolitan Pima Alliance Board, Ollanik has served in many different leadership roles in the region, including past chair of Triangle Y Ranch Camp Branch, Real Estate and Allied Professionals, and American Cancer Society. As project director at Sundt, one of the projects he manages is the construction of the University of Arizona Student Success District, Sundt’s 58th project with the university. A 32-year industry veteran, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arizona.

Sundt has over 90 years of experience in Arizona, with offices in Tempe, Tucson and Phoenix. Ranked the third largest contractor in the Southwest by industry-leading publication ENR, Sundt is currently working on the University of Arizona Student Success District and is nearing completion on Oro Valley’s All Seasons Senior Living facility.