The landlords and tenants are on a more even playing field now. You're working with them as opposed to working against each other, which, in the past, sometimes those relationships [were] a little challenging.

Sean Barron, a co-founder of the upcycled denim brand Re/done, which opened its first standalone store late last year in Malibu, Calif., commenting to Fashionista for its recent report, “These Stores That Opened Amid the Pandemic Can Hint at Where Retail Is Going.”