CC Consulting Founder Reflects on 20 Years of Retail Real Estate Transformation

Cindy Ciura is celebrating 20 years at the helm of her commercial real estate consulting firm CC Consulting, which specializes in retail brokerage for High Street properties nationwide. The firm represents landlords and connects them with luxury and high-end retailers, playing a significant role in shaping major retail developments and urban revitalizations across the United States.

Ciura founded CC Consulting in 2005 after formative experiences in leadership roles that reinforced the importance of integrity and creating positive impact through work. Her career prior to launching the firm included positions with industry leaders like The Forbes Company, Olympia Development, and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, where she worked under mentors including Sid Forbes, Mike Ilitch, and Bob Schostak. These experiences provided the foundation for building an organization that channels her values and expertise into meaningful retail transformation projects.

Among the most significant projects over the past two decades has been the transformation of downtown Birmingham, Michigan, where Ciura has worked for approximately 10 years. When she began, the area lacked national retail representation, but today it thrives with prominent brands. In Detroit, her work dates back more than 25 years, including early efforts to bring national retailers like Hard Rock Cafe and Borders Books to the Compuware Building through her work with Schostak Brothers. These were among the first national retailers in downtown Detroit, helping to establish momentum that has since attracted numerous additional brands to the city.

Beyond Michigan, CC Consulting has expanded its footprint to wealthy markets like Orlando and Naples, Florida, where the firm continues to strengthen tenant mixes with national and luxury retailers. The company has also worked in Palm Beach, the Carolinas, California, Ohio, Chicago, and New York City, focusing on introducing retail offerings that were previously unrepresented in each market. This approach to revitalizing cities, streets, and malls with fresh retail has been a consistent theme throughout Ciura's career.

The retail landscape has evolved significantly since 2005, but Ciura challenges the narrative that brick-and-mortar retail is declining. She notes that more retailers are actively seeking physical locations than ever before, emphasizing that retail remains a tactile experience that consumers value for its entertainment aspect. This sustained demand has kept CC Consulting exceptionally busy, with retailers continuing to open new stores despite increased online shopping through platforms like Amazon and social media.

CC Consulting's success in attracting high-end and luxury brands stems from Ciura's long-standing relationships with retailers, some spanning 20 years. She explains that retailers often exhibit a herd mentality, where the presence of one desirable tenant attracts others. Luxury tenants particularly prefer co-locating near complementary luxury retailers, making relationship-building and curated tenant mixes critical differentiators for the firm. The company tailors its approach to diverse markets by developing customized marketing materials that address specific demographic and location data, a process refined by Ciura's assistant Rob over 15 years of collaboration.

Looking ahead, Ciura is expanding into new markets and project types, including recent work in Washington, D.C. and a new client focused on convention center retail. She finds particular reward in sharing knowledge through speaking engagements and contributing to community causes, serving on the Board of Directors of Michigan Humane and supporting Catholic Charities' initiatives to convert old Detroit schools into low-cost housing. These efforts reflect her commitment to using professional talents for community benefit as CC Consulting continues to explore new retail venues and markets.