Definition
A major retailer or business attracting other tenants and customers to a property—basically the cool kid that makes the location worth visiting.
Example Usage
The new shopping center lost value when the anchor tenant, a major department store, announced it was closing.
Origin
Commercial real estate terminology, standardized in the 1980s
Fun Fact
When an anchor tenant leaves, smaller tenants flee like rats from a sinking ship.
Source: ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) Standards
Related Terms
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See “Anchoring Tenant” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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