Thomas Consultants Inc. specializes in providing optimal development planning and revitalization strategies for:

  • Mixed-Use Developments
  • Retail Projects and Shopping Centers
  • Downtown Retail Precincts
  • Resort Retailing and Master Planning
  • Airports, Cruise Ship Facilities and Transit Nodes

Thomas Consultants head office is based in Vancouver, Canada and the company has offices in Korea and Australia. The firm is recognized as a leader in the strategic planning of retail facilities in shopping centres, resorts, urban entertainment centres and transit projects. The firm is currently engaged in major retail planning assignments in over 45 countries around the world. Through our international project exposure, we have the ability to share global innovations and concepts with our clients. This edge allows our clients, who include the world's leading shopping center developers, owners, operators and designers, to adopt the most current ideas and strategies and ensure success in their retail projects.

We are also affiliated with Foresight Partners, who specializes in economic and development advisory services in the Australia and New Zealand region. Our firms collaborate to provide our clients specialized expertise and strategic input on a variety of real estate development issues.

Thomas Consultants has been instrumental in adding value to numerous key retail, entertainment, resort and mixed use projects around the world. Our input as Development Strategists is particularly relevant during the planning process where we ensure that such a development, with its key retail, entertainment and food/beverage elements, is not only truly matched to the market and so works optimally in practice, but also includes the points of difference so necessary in today's competitive environment.

The identification of the right market niches, opportunities and sizing for these strategic elements is imperative. In addition, we take this strategic vision right down to a detailed tenant mix plan, as well as identifying the most appropriate retailers and operators for the components of the project. This creates a blueprint for leasing the project and guiding the leasing team. Thomas Consultants are not agents, but work on a very complementary basis with most major leasing firms. Our exposure to leading edge developers (many are our clients) is instrumental in identifying new retail concepts and formats.

In terms of further acknowledgement of our experience, Ian Thomas (Chairman of Thomas Consultants) sits on the Board of Trustees of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and its Educational Foundation in New York. Through this vehicle we have exposure and contact to a myriad of international retail operators, developers and investors. He also is a judge of ICSC's International Design Awards which evaluates and judges the world's best new shopping centers. With this background, the firm experiences leading edge ideas first hand.

As well, Thomas Consultants team leaders regularly speak on the topics of Entertainment Retailing, Resort Retailing and Retail Trends at various conferences throughout North America and Europe. We are active in preparing articles on evolving trends for the Urban Land Institute (ULI), ICSC and Shopping Centers Business Magazine and other industry journals.