Last week, our retail architects attended ICSC’s Retail Real Estate Convention (RECon) in Las Vegas. With approximately 40,000 people in attendance, it’s the world’s largest conference for retail real estate professionals and a great way for those in the industry to share innovative ideas and connect with retailers and tech pioneers.
Omni-channel retail was a focus of this year’s conference as more retailers aggressively adopt the approach to meet consumer expectations. More e-tailers are opening physical stores to increase their brand awareness, improve profitability, and expand future growth. No longer will online sales be measured separately from in-store sales. Retailers are focused on creating unique, impactful experiences for their customers in-store as traditional brick and mortar stores are still the best way to attract new customers and engender brand loyalty.
Daryl Bray, SGA’s COO, said “For us, RECon is a great opportunity to put a finger on the pulse of what’s happening with retail development nationwide, whether it’s learning about new concepts or discussing the evolution of store design with legacy retailers. Our build-to-suit work has increased over the past few years, and it was great to see so many of our developer clients at this year’s convention.”
Developers are repurposing and redeveloping large spaces to new mixed-use spaces, blurring the traditional lines between retail, office, and living. As some large retailers have left shopping centers, it’s opened up opportunities to re-imagine those spaces to include small office spaces, condos, restaurants, and smaller retailers.
With over 1,200 vendors, including national brands, emerging retailers, and health and wellness centers, RECon offered nearly endless opportunities to make meaningful connections with our current clients and meet new ones. SGA is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the organization behind RECon and a number of other conventions around the country. We look forward to attending RECon in years to come.