WSR Whitestone REIT

Recently announced by S&P Global Market Intelligence (S&P) in a December 7th article, Whitestone REIT (NYSE: WSR) ranked first in year-over-year (“YOY”) recovery in Black Friday foot traffic. The analysis by S&P, which sourced data from AirSage, reveals that the foot traffic in Whitestone centers has recovered to 80.4% of the previous year’s foot traffic levels as compared to the overall public shopping center industry average of a 48% recovery.(1)

This report supports an internal location intelligence analysis Whitestone recently performed using Placer.ai software on its own properties in a YOY comparison for the month of November in which the median recovery in foot traffic was 81% for the entire portfolio from the prior year. This analysis further supports Whitestone’s recently reported 92.4% shopping center sector leading COVID cash rental collections for the month of November.

Breaking Whitestone’s proprietary findings down further shows:

• an 87% recovery in its grocery-anchored properties, which accounts for 51% of the annualized base rent (“ABR”) of our portfolio:
• an 83% recovery in properties populated with non-grocery tenants who service the daily needs and necessities of residential neighborhoods, which accounts for 37% of the ABR of our portfolio; and
• a 48% recovery in properties with higher daytime populations in office-centric surroundings, which accounts for only 12% of the ABR of our portfolio.

As part of its business model, Whitestone uses cutting edge technologies for location intelligence to better understand who its consumers are, where they are going, what they like, and where they spend their time and money. The artificial intelligence built into this data science platform tracks foot patterns and gives Whitestone property management and asset acquisition projections, predicts outcomes for its properties, and helps support its entrepreneurial tenants’ businesses and its communities as a whole. Whitestone has used technologies like Esri ArcGIS Online, or "the Science of Where", as well as other proprietary technologies since its inception.

Through analysis of this data and its applied use of psychographics, Whitestone’s premier locations, optimal tenant mix, and community centered properties are among the “stickiest” in the country. The loyalty and multiple visits per week by its affluent shoppers are turning heads in retail, helping Whitestone win tenants away from the operators of enclosed malls and other shopping center operators, as well as help in the retention of existing clients.

(1) Data compiled December 7, 2020. Represents year-over-year change in total foot traffic at the REIT’s shopping centers. Includes properties owned by Acadia Realty Trust, Brixmor Property Group Inc., Cedar Realty Trust, Inc., SITE Center Corp, Federal Realty Investment Trust, Kimco Realty Corporation, Kite Realty Group Trust, RPT Realty, Regency Centers Corporation, Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., Retail Properties of America, Inc., Retail Value Inc., Saul Centers, Inc., Urban Edge Properties, Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc., Weingarten Realty Investors, Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust Inc. and Whitestone REIT.

About Whitestone REIT Whitestone is a community-centered shopping center REIT that acquires, owns, manages, develops and redevelops high-quality neighborhood centers primarily in the largest, fastest-growing and most affluent markets in the Sunbelt. 

Whitestone seeks to create Communities That Thrive through Creating Local Connections between consumers in the surrounding communities and a well-crafted mix of national, regional and local tenants that provide daily necessities, needed services, entertainment and experiences. 

Whitestone is a monthly dividend paying stock and has consistently paid dividends for over 15 years.

Whitestone’s strong balanced and managed capital structure provides stability and flexibility for growth and positions Whitestone to perform well through economic cycles. For additional information, please visit www.whitestonereit.com 

About S&P Global Market IntelligenceAt S&P Global Market Intelligence, we understand the importance of accurate, deep and insightful information. We integrate financial and industry data, research and news into tools that help track performance, generate alpha, identify investment ideas, perform valuations and assess credit risk. Investment professionals, government agencies, corporations and universities around the world use this essential intelligence to make business and financial decisions with conviction. S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global, the world’s foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics in the global capital and commodity markets, offering ESG solutions, deep data and insights on critical business factors. S&P Global has been providing essential intelligence that unlocks opportunity, fosters growth and accelerates progress for more than 160 years. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence  

About Placer.aiSilicon Valley-based Placer.ai is the most advanced foot traffic analytics platform allowing anyone with a stake in the physical world to instantly generate insights into any property for a deeper understanding of the factors that drive success. Placer.ai is the first platform that fully empowers professionals in retail, commercial real estate, hospitality, economic development and more to truly understand and maximize their offline activities. Find more information here: https://placer.ai/

About EsriEsri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Esri has partners and local distributors in over 100 countries on six continents, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at www.esri.com    About AirSageAirSage pioneered the transformation of wireless network signaling data into powerful location intelligence information. Early research led to unique developments, patents, and methodologies that enable AirSage to provide the most comprehensive population analytics and movement patterns on the market today. AirSage has the most extensive coverage in the United States of any location-based data service provider. We collect and analyze real-time mobile signals, GPS, and other location data to produce and process billions of anonymous data points every day. AirSage provides unmatched scale and accuracy to its customers, while fully protecting data privacy.

Media companies, businesses, investors, transportation planners, real estate owners, travel & tourism professionals, and a host of others have easy access to data that they can use for research and planning purposes. These insights can easily be integrated into larger models and analytics solutions, giving our customers an edge when solving complex challenges, planning for growth, creating marketing campaigns, or building stronger customer relationships.

Investors Contact:Kevin Reed, Director of Investor RelationsWhitestone REIT(713) 435-2219ir@whitestonereit.com