NewBiz Alert Florida industry report
August 2026 Retail Trade new business activity in Florida
Published
By NewBiz Alert, from Florida Division of Corporations filings, Florida Department of Revenue and FDACS retail registration. How we built this.
Retail is where Florida spends its money. It is the grocery and convenience store on the corner, the clothing and shoe shops at the mall, the electronics and phone stores, the furniture and home-goods showrooms, the sporting-goods and pet-supply stores, the jewelry and gift shops, the garden centers, and the online sellers shipping from a warehouse. As Florida keeps adding people and rooftops, developers build new shopping centers to serve them and more store owners register with the state.
New retail businesses are forming fastest in Southeast Florida. Every new store and shopping center buys the same starter kit before it opens its doors: a build-out crew and site contractor, shelving and fixtures, a point-of-sale and inventory system, exterior and interior signage, security cameras and alarms, general-liability insurance, business banking and a bookkeeper, and janitorial service. A grocery adds refrigeration and coolers, a boutique adds racks and lighting, a garden center adds greenhouse space. That repeatable setup is why new retail formations track closely with where new rooftops and shopping centers are going up.
The counts below show where new retail businesses are registering, by region, over the last 30, 90, and 365 days. Under them is the recent news these owners are watching, from new shopping centers and grocery-anchored plazas to store openings and downtown investments, with the specific businesses each one creates work for. The state registration bodies and trade group, plus a local resource for each region, live at the bottom, in Retail Trade Resources.
New in last 30 days
5,350
New in last 90 days
18,534
New in last year
51,710
Counts as of August 22, 2026.
The numbers
Where it is happening, by region
New retail businesses by region, over the last 30, 90, and 365 days. Regions are ranked by the last year.
| Region | 30 days | 90 days | 1 year | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast FloridaMost active | 1,047 | 3,230 | 9,533 | Steady |
| Tampa Bay | 571 | 1,815 | 5,100 | Steady |
| Central Florida | 511 | 1,603 | 4,631 | Steady |
| Northeast Florida | 185 | 552 | 1,578 | Steady |
| Southwest Florida | 184 | 541 | 1,567 | Steady |
| Northwest Florida | 110 | 375 | 1,192 | Steady |
| North Central Florida | 73 | 259 | 704 | Steady |
| Florida total | 5,350 | 18,534 | 51,710 |
Another 27,405 new businesses in the last year did not list a county, so they are counted in the Florida total but not placed in a region.
The news
Recent retail news in Florida
New developments retail owners are watching, with the real date of each and the specific businesses it creates work for. This period spans the field, from downtown shopping centers and a grocery anchored tower to convenience stores, a farm supply shop, storefront repair grants and the land use changes that clear the ground first. All seven regions are covered.
- Northwest Florida· 2026-07-16
Pensacola takes final review of a downtown shopping center on West Garden Street
Branch Acquisition Company, LLC brought case 26-792 to the Pensacola Architectural Review Board on July 16, 2026 for final review of a new shopping center at 200 W. Garden Street. The plan sets a 33,700 square foot grocery store inside the site and 30,500 square feet of retail space fronting Garden and Spring Streets. The design keeps the existing historic brick walls, adds brick and stucco fronts with canopies and awnings, and reserves a pocket park at the corner of Palafox and Spring Streets. The board approved a concept review of the same project in May.
A center this size opens as a set of separate jobs. The grocery hall, the street front shops and the parking and landscape work are each priced and built on their own, and every tenant that signs a lease adds another round of interior work behind it.
Who this helps
- grocers
- specialty food retailers
- shop fitters
- refrigeration installers
- sign makers
- commercial landscapers
- Pensacola general contractors
A grocery anchor and a row of shops inside a historic district put daily errands back on a downtown block, and each store that opens there registers with the state.
- Northwest Florida· 2026-07-28
Panama City opens hearings on a General Commercial designation at 2015 W 23rd Court
The Panama City Commission held the first of two public hearings on July 28, 2026 on Ordinance 3306.1, amending the city Future Land Use Map to a General Commercial designation for the property at 2015 W 23rd Court, Parcel ID 13230-030-000. The same night it held the first of two hearings on Ordinance 3306.2, amending the Zoning Map to General Commercial-1, GC-1 for that same parcel. Both were taken up as quasi-judicial hearings.
Land use and zoning come before anything can be built. A parcel moving to a commercial designation puts survey work, civil drawings and a site plan on somebody's desk well before a store is drawn.
Who this helps
- land use attorneys
- civil engineers
- surveyors
- site contractors
- Bay County general contractors
Every shop in the Panhandle sits on ground that was rezoned for it first, so these hearings are where the next round of Panama City storefronts starts.
- North Central Florida· 2026-07-22
Palatka ranks 11 storefront grant applications for buildings in its redevelopment district
The Palatka Tax Increment Fund Advisory Board met on July 22, 2026 to score and rank 11 eligible applications to the city Building Improvement Grant Program for the coming budget year. The program reimburses up to $25,000, asks for at least 25% matching funds, and requires that all work be done by a contractor licensed by the State of Florida. The property has to sit inside the CRA District, and a sale or transfer within three years can trigger full or partial repayment. The applications cover buildings on St Johns Avenue, 5th Street, Morris Street, Emmett Street and N 3rd Street.
Grant money for storefront work turns straight into paid jobs on old buildings, and the program rules send every one of those jobs to a licensed contractor rather than to an owner with a ladder.
Who this helps
- painters
- storefront glass installers
- awning makers
- sign makers
- masonry contractors
- roofers
- Putnam County general contractors
A small downtown fills its empty shops when the buildings are worth leasing again, and repaired fronts are usually the first step.
- North Central Florida· 2026-07-13
Marion County reviews a one year extension for a Wawa convenience store site plan
The Marion County Development Review Committee took up a plan extension request on July 13, 2026 for the major site plan for a Wawa convenience store at US Highway 441, on Parcel 4593-006-001. The applicant asked on July 7 for one more year, moving the expiration date from September 9, 2026 to September 9, 2027. County records show no earlier extension on this plan. Native Engineering is listed on the item.
Keeping a site plan alive keeps a project in the pipeline instead of sending it back to the start. A fuel and convenience build is a full site job before the store sells anything, from tanks and canopy to the drive lanes around it.
Who this helps
- fuel system installers
- canopy erectors
- site contractors
- paving crews
- convenience store fixture suppliers
- Marion County general contractors
Highway convenience stores carry a lot of small retail work in a rural county, and a live plan is what keeps that work on the calendar.
- Northeast Florida· 2026-07-21
Jacksonville weighs incentives for a downtown tower with a full grocery store on the ground floor
Ordinance 2026-0541 came before the Jacksonville Finance Committee on July 21, 2026. It would let the Downtown Investment Authority sign a redevelopment agreement with 119 Beaver St W, LLC for a mixed use residential and retail project holding about 259 residential units and about 37,000 square feet of ground floor leasable retail space. No less than 30,000 square feet of that is set aside for a Publix grocery store, or another well known regional or national grocer approved by the Authority. The ordinance authorizes a 75%, 17 year Recaptured Enhanced Value grant capped at $21,412,000 through the Downtown Northbank CRA Trust Fund, plus a $28,250,000 completion grant paid to the developer in two installments.
A grocery store built into a tower is specialist work, from refrigeration racks and freezer boxes to loading docks and back rooms sized for pallets. The rest of the frontage leases out as smaller shops, and each of those fits out on its own budget.
Who this helps
- grocers
- refrigeration contractors
- shop fitters
- commercial electricians
- sign makers
- Jacksonville general contractors
A full grocery store downtown changes what a city center can support, and the smaller shops that open around one register as new Florida businesses.
- Northeast Florida· 2026-07-21
A Jacksonville rezoning would allow a thrift store and community retail center on Arlington Road
Ordinance 2026-0483 asks to rezone about 0.71 acres at 6411 Arlington Road, between Sprinkle Drive and Westdale Drive, from one Planned Unit Development to another so the Foster Closet PUD can operate a thrift store and community retail center. The applicant is Pam, LLC, under application Z-7238. The Land Use and Zoning Committee carried the item on July 21, 2026 and deferred the public hearing to the next cycle on August 4, 2026.
A small retail conversion is the size of job a local crew can take end to end, from the shop floor and fitting rooms to the counter, the lighting and the sign over the door.
Who this helps
- shop fitters
- used goods retailers
- commercial electricians
- flooring installers
- sign makers
- Duval County general contractors
Second hand and community retail fills storefronts that larger chains pass over, and it keeps neighborhood blocks in use.
- Central Florida· 2026-07-29
Apopka reviews a multi tenant retail and restaurant building with a fueling station at Wyld Oaks
Case CSP-26-29, listed as Wyld Oaks C Store, came to the Apopka Development Review Committee on July 29, 2026 as a first submittal construction site plan. It covers 6,300 square feet of multi tenant retail and restaurant buildings plus a fueling station, on W Kelly Park Road between Effie Drive and Highway 429. The owner is M&R United Inc and the applicant is Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc.
A multi tenant shell with a fuel station is really two jobs on one pad. The site work and the shell go first, then each tenant that signs a lease pays for its own interior fit out, kitchen or counter.
Who this helps
- convenience store operators
- quick service restaurant owners
- fuel system installers
- shop fitters
- sign makers
- Orange County site contractors
Retail pads at the edge of a growing corridor are where a lot of first time store owners get their start.
- Central Florida· 2026-07-29
A revised site plan advances an 8,288 square foot building at Wekiva Shopping Center
Case CSP-26-32 is a revision to the construction site plan for Wekiva Shopping Center Building H at 2121 East Semoran Boulevard, on the Apopka Development Review Committee agenda for July 29, 2026. The building is 8,288 square feet. Woolbright Wekiva LLC owns the site and Sun-Tech Engineering Inc is the applicant.
Adding a building to a center that already trades brings site work and a shell first, then a separate round of interior work for whoever leases it. Work on an occupied center is usually staged around the stores already open.
Who this helps
- shop fitters
- commercial framers
- roofers
- paving crews
- sign makers
- Apopka general contractors
Filling in an established shopping center adds shops without adding new roads or new utility lines.
- Tampa Bay· 2026-07-09
Pasco planners back general commercial zoning on 15.59 acres at State Road 54
Case PDE26-7935, filed by Gulf Coast CCM Inc, asks to change about 15.59 acres from a C-2 General Commercial District with Conditions to a C-2 General Commercial District, at the northwest corner of State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard. The Pasco County Planning Commission carried it as a consent zoning amendment on July 9, 2026 with a recommendation to approve.
Lifting the conditions on a corner this size widens what can be built on it. A cleared commercial corner at a highway intersection is the ground a shopping center normally lands on next, and the survey and civil work comes first.
Who this helps
- site contractors
- civil engineers
- surveyors
- commercial builders
- sign makers
- Pasco County retailers
Zoning is the first step in every store that opens on a suburban highway, so a change like this is the earliest public signal that shops are coming.
- Tampa Bay· 2026-07-23
A feed and farm supply store seeks general commercial zoning near State Road 52
Case PDE26-7934, filed by The Feed Co./Grace Hay Company Inc., asks to rezone about 1.26 acres from an A-R Agricultural Residential District to a C-2 General Commercial District, about 600 feet east of Choctaw Trail and north of State Road 52 in west central Pasco County. The Pasco County Planning Commission handled it as a consent zoning amendment on July 23, 2026 with a recommendation to approve.
A farm supply store on commercial ground needs yard space, covered storage and a counter area, so the site work and the simple buildings come well before the first bag of feed is sold.
Who this helps
- feed and farm supply retailers
- pet supply retailers
- pole barn builders
- site contractors
- surveyors
- Pasco County general contractors
Feed and pet supply stores serve the rural edge of a metro area, and the state counts them in the same retail group as any other shop.
- Southwest Florida· 2026-07-29
Cape Coral hears a Bimini East plan with 130,000 square feet of shops and dining
The Cape Coral Committee of the Whole took up the Bimini East Redevelopment on July 29, 2026 as an informational item, with no action requested. Bimini Basin Redevelopment Company LLC, whose managing member is Crown Development Inc, proposes 3 to 5 story mixed use buildings holding up to 900 dwelling units, 250 hotel rooms across two national brands, 130,000 square feet of ground floor dining, retail and service space, a 55,000 square foot office building, up to 210,000 square feet of medical space, a 60 slip marina and four parking garages. The estimated investment is $500,000,000.
Ground floor space at that scale fills one storefront at a time. Each shop, cafe and service counter signs its own lease, orders its own fixtures and hires its own crew to build the space out.
Who this helps
- shop fitters
- restaurant equipment suppliers
- commercial electricians
- sign makers
- marine supply retailers
- Lee County general contractors
A waterfront district downtown gives Southwest Florida store owners somewhere to open that is not another highway strip center.
- Southwest Florida· 2026-06-25
Fort Myers reviews new storefront windows and doors at the 1941 Edison Theater
Certificate of Review COR26-00187 came to the Fort Myers Historic Preservation Commission on June 25, 2026 for 1533 Hendry Street, the Edison Theater, a contributing structure in the Downtown Historic District built in 1941. The application covers a new storefront window and door system throughout, replacement skylights, updated awnings and new security cameras.
Storefront glass, doors and awnings on a protected building are specialist work with a review board watching the details, and the cameras and lighting go in on the same visit.
Who this helps
- storefront glass installers
- awning makers
- historic restoration contractors
- security system installers
- commercial electricians
A restored theater front holds together one of the anchor buildings on a downtown block, and smaller shops tend to open around it.
- Southeast Florida· 2026-07-21
A South Miami district plan with 202,462 square feet of shops returns to the county commission
Sunset Opportunities B1, LLC and Sunset C1, LLC petitioned to establish the Downtown SoMi Community Development District, covering about 10.16 acres inside South Miami. The area is bounded by Harriet Tubman Highway to the north, SW 57 Avenue to the east, SW 72 Street to the south and SW 58 Avenue to the west. The plan carries 202,462 square feet of retail space, 1,513 dwelling units, 287 hotel rooms, 65,892 square feet of office space, a 1,300 seat movie theater and 2,786 parking spaces, at an estimated $149 million. The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners adopted the ordinance on first reading on April 21, 2026, and the petition carried to a public hearing on the July 21, 2026 commission agenda after a deferral from June 2.
Retail space at that scale is leased as dozens of separate units. Every one of them is a new tenant with its own build, its own fixtures and its own sign, and the theater and hotel bring their own suppliers alongside.
Who this helps
- shop fitters
- specialty retailers
- restaurant equipment suppliers
- commercial electricians
- sign makers
- Miami-Dade general contractors
A walkable retail district in a built up suburb puts a lot of small shops on a few blocks instead of spreading them along a road.
- Southeast Florida· 2026-07-23
Miami-Dade weighs a plan text change to mix light industrial with retail uses
Application CDMP20250022, filed by Midwest REO V, LLC, would amend the text of the Business and Office land use category in the Miami-Dade Comprehensive Development Master Plan Land Use Element. The change would allow Industrial Support Center development in certain areas, so light industrial uses can sit alongside commercial and retail uses. It is a text amendment and not a map amendment, so it applies by category rather than to one parcel. The ordinance was introduced on July 9, 2026 and set for a public hearing and action on July 23, 2026.
A category that lets a warehouse, a showroom and a shop share one site suits sellers who hold their own stock and ship it out. That mix has to be designed and permitted before a single rack goes up.
Who this helps
- wholesale retailers
- building supply retailers
- furniture retailers
- online sellers holding stock
- land use attorneys
- civil engineers
Rules that let storage sit beside selling space help the retailers that ship orders as well as serve a counter.
So what
What it means for you
Retail grows with rooftops. When a new subdivision or apartment community fills in, a shopping center follows to serve it, and the grocery, pharmacy, restaurant pad, and specialty shops that fill those centers each register with the state. Every new store is a hands-on business, and each one buys the same starter kit on day one: a build-out, fixtures and shelving, a point-of-sale system, signage, security, insurance, and banking. The regions heating up in the counts above are where that new-rooftop demand is climbing fastest.
The news list shows how retail follows growth on the ground. Grocery-anchored centers, new plazas, and downtown storefronts do not open on their own: each one puts site contractors, sign and fixture shops, security installers, and cleaning crews to work first, then fills with the stores that hire local staff and add to the tax roll.
Methodology
How we count
- We count each business by the date it registered with the state, so this shows new business formation, not the current number of stores.
- State records post about 2 weeks behind, so the last week or two will keep rising as more filings arrive.
- Most retailers need a Florida sales-tax account with the Department of Revenue to collect tax on what they sell. Some need more: grocery and market stores permit with FDACS as food establishments, and stores that sell alcohol or tobacco license with the DBPR Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Auto parts stores and vehicle dealers are counted under Automotive, not here.
- Counts cover active Florida businesses and update daily.
Statewide license source: Florida Department of Revenue.
Frequently asked questions
- Where are the most new retail businesses forming in Florida?
- This report ranks every Florida region by new retail businesses and shows if activity is heating up or slowing down.
- What kinds of businesses are in this group?
- It covers clothing and shoe stores, grocery and convenience stores, electronics and phone shops, furniture and home-goods stores, sporting-goods and pet-supply stores, jewelry and gift shops, garden and building-supply stores, health and beauty retail, and online sellers. Auto parts and vehicle dealers are counted under Automotive instead.
- Do these businesses need a license?
- Most retailers register for a Florida sales-tax account with the Department of Revenue to collect sales tax. Grocery and market stores also permit with FDACS as food establishments, and stores that sell alcohol or tobacco license with the DBPR Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Many other stores need no separate state license to open.
- Where does this data come from?
- The formation counts come from official Florida business-registration records. We pull every new filing, sort it by industry and region, and update daily. We count a business by the date it registered with the state.
- Can I see the actual businesses?
- Yes. You get the real filings, with business names, addresses, and officers, free for 7 days, with no credit card required. Start a free 7 day trial to see them.
Reference
Retail Trade Resources
The standing resources for Florida's retail businesses, starting with the statewide trade group and the state registrations every store works through, then a genuinely local resource for each region. This is the reference shelf, not the news. Check it to see the agencies and groups a new store uses, or send a new owner here.
Statewide
- AssociationFlorida Retail Federation
Florida Retail Federation (FRF)
The statewide trade association for Florida retail, active for more than 85 years. It represents stores at the state capital and offers members training, industry councils for food, pharmacy, and beauty sellers, and storm and disaster support.
- LicensingFlorida Department of Revenue
Sales and Use Tax Registration
Any business selling taxable goods at retail in Florida registers here, for each location, to collect and remit the state sales tax. A new store sets up this account before it rings up its first sale.
- LicensingFlorida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
DBPR Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
This state division licenses and regulates the retailers that sell beer, wine, liquor, and tobacco in Florida. A convenience store, grocery, or shop that plans to sell alcohol or tobacco gets its license here.
- LicensingFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
FDACS Food Establishment Permit
FDACS permits and inspects retail food stores in Florida, including supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores, bakeries, and retail meat and seafood markets. A new food or grocery retailer permits here before it opens.
Northwest Florida
- AssociationDowntown Improvement Board of Pensacola
Downtown Improvement Board (Pensacola)
A special taxing district covering 44 blocks of downtown Pensacola. Its work includes attracting quality retail to the downtown core and boosting the foot traffic that storefronts depend on.
North Central Florida
- ProgramOcala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership
Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (Ocala)
The primary business advocacy and economic-development organization for Ocala and Marion County. It works on business attraction, retention, and creation, and acts as a one-stop resource for new and growing local businesses.
Northeast Florida
- AssociationNassau County Chamber of Commerce
Nassau County Chamber of Commerce (Fernandina Beach)
A membership business and economic-development organization for Nassau County, from Amelia Island to Yulee. It runs an advocacy program on local ordinances and development codes and connects area retailers through networking and community programs.
Central Florida
- ProgramOrlando Economic Partnership
Orlando Economic Partnership (Orlando)
An economic and community development organization for the Orlando region and Central Florida. It works to grow the economy, attract companies that create jobs, and help businesses relocate and expand across the metro.
Tampa Bay
- ProgramPasco Economic Development Council
Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco County)
The county economic development council for Pasco County, from New Port Richey to Wesley Chapel. It helps businesses start, move, and grow in the county, including retail and commercial site guidance.
Southwest Florida
- ProgramHorizon Foundation of Southwest Florida
Horizon Foundation (Lee County)
A Lee County nonprofit that privately funds the Horizon Council, the public-private partnership that advises the county commission on recruiting and keeping businesses. It works to improve the county's business environment and ease of doing business.
Southeast Florida
- ProgramBusiness Development Board of Palm Beach County
Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach)
The official public-private economic development organization of Palm Beach County. It helps businesses start, relocate, and expand in the county and connects them with sites, incentives, and local resources.
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