Connect Retail is our weekly column on the sector, authored by veteran CRE writer Ian Ritter.

There is a lot of news about retail real estate getting kicked in the pants nowadays. A constant barrage of information about store closings helps nothing.

However, things in retail aren’t that bad at least, not on the investment side. A recent report from CIT Commercial Real Estate shows that 52% of investors are bullish on retail real estate. Additionally, 71% of the people polled said that there is plenty of capital to invest in this commercial real estate product type.

Among the findings by CIT is that technology is helping retail stores connect with customers, and there are also “green” tax credits that retail real estate professionals can take advantage of.

We are going to find out more about what is happening at RECon, which takes place this month in Las Vegas. RECon is produced by the International Council of Shopping Centers, and is one of the largest commercial real estate conference in the United States. That’s where attendees and others will learn about various issues that need to be addressed.

But, the CIT report is a reminder that retail professionals are intelligent and resilient. Their creativity will overcome challenges.

Do YOU think that retail operators can overcome strife and end up a sector that investors will care about?