Polymarket Bettors Threaten Israeli Journalist & Blank Street Wants to Become “Gen Z Starbucks”

This Morning Brew Daily episode rounds up recent business trends and oddities, from retail real estate changes and prediction market drama to coffee shop pivots, quirky AI gigs, and quick headlines on policy, delivery, and science.

Retail Shift to Services Over Goods

For the first time, service-based retailers like gyms, spas, salons, and restaurants leased more U.S. commercial space (50.4%) than goods sellers (49.6%) in 2025, per CoStar data—a jump from 40% fifteen years ago. Wellness drives this, accounting for nearly 30% of service leases in a $2.1 trillion industry; examples include Planet Fitness adding 1 million members and filling bankrupt store spaces like Rite Aid. Goods retailers are shrinking footprints—average lease size hit 3,200 square feet in 2023, the smallest in 17 years—as e-commerce rises and stores become marketing showrooms. Landlords benefit from higher rents, as in a Philly case where four service tenants (animal hospital, facial spa, stretching studio, nail salon) replaced a liquor store and generated 20% more revenue.