CUSCO has officially launched as a retail real estate platform dedicated to connecting national retailers with rural America. The company plans to achieve this by acquiring and managing high-quality retail properties in high-demand rural markets and offering advisory services to national brands aiming to expand into these regions.
Founded by retail real estate expert John Cusumano, who possesses extensive experience in secondary and tertiary markets, CUSCO aims to leverage his deep understanding of the rural real estate landscape. Cusumano identified a gap in the retail market where national brands show strong interest in expanding into smaller rural communities, but national real estate investors and advisors often lack the expertise or interest to focus on these areas. Conversely, local retail market owners and advisors lack the scale and experience to meet the needs of these national retailers. CUSCO seeks to bridge this gap, offering institutional ownership, management, and advisory services in markets across the South, Southeast, and Midwest.
“While many see ‘flyover country,’ I see a significant opportunity to address a supply/demand gap,” said Cusumano. “Rural communities need convenient access to daily essentials, and brands like Five Below, AT&T, Great Clips, Jersey Mike’s, T-Mobile, and EyeMart recognize this and want to be closer to these areas. My career in these markets and with these brands has prepared me to build a platform that helps them scale effectively and deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns.”
CUSCO boasts strong relationships with leading national and regional necessity-based retailers, capital partners, and commercial real estate brokerages, supporting its strategy to create consistent and sustainable cash flow growth. The company’s real estate portfolio will generate rental income, complemented by comprehensive advisory services to support local and regional landlords with lease-up, asset management, and property management strategies.
A notable example of the national brands CUSCO aims to support is T-Mobile, which has significantly grown in rural communities since its merger with Sprint in 2019. Lowe’s has also targeted rural markets for expansion with its one-stop-shop store concept.
Cusumano brings a wealth of experience to CUSCO, having previously served as Vice President of Real Estate at MRP Capital Group. There, he played a key role in acquiring large portfolios of Walmart shadow centers valued at over $250 million and managed a team handling 250 transactions annually and construction projects totaling $3 million per year. He also has experience from his tenure in the Landlord & Advisory Services group at CBRE and is an active member of ICSC.
