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In Brazil, over the next two years, more than 40 new malls will open,” Hutensky said. “We see this incredible demand because of the surging middle class and it is the same thing we see all over the world.” And in China, in just one city, 24 million square feet is being constructed, he said. In the Middle East and Latin America, malls are being built, Hutensky said. “In every one of these countries, people speak a different language, but they all speak the language of retail.”

The crowd of attendees here reached near 33,000, up from last year, according to ICSC. GlobeSt.com caught up with attendee Mark Keschl, national director of the retail services group at Colliers International, on the subject of brick-and-mortar as it relates to technology.

“It is becoming clear that online retail goes hand-in-hand with brick-and-mortar opportunities,” Keschl says. “Brick-and-mortar stores are quickly realizing that online sales are a great way to expand reach and allow shoppers to compare prices with competitors.”

For online retailers, like Google, Keschl continues, opening physical stores is the next step in reaching customers. “Of course, Apple continues to dominate the news with its retail stores, and we have seen other online/catalogue retailers, such as Cabela's, ramp up their store expansions. Under Armour and McCormick spices have made news by opening new branded flagship stores. Polaroid has also opened a branded store and is planning others; while there have been rumors of Google and Amazon stores coming too.”

In-store, retailers he says, are embracing “omnichannel marketing, reaching shoppers through multiple channels and keeping content, promotions and inventory consistent across those channels. Further, technology is giving shoppers innovative ways to browse, get product information and make purchases.”

Companies like Hointer, a Seattle-based denim retailer, he explains, “are revolutionizing the customer experience with mobile apps.” He says that Hointer pairs a mobile barcode with every item, which allows customers to browse inventory and use Smartphones to scan the jeans they want to try on. “The selected jeans are delivered to fitting rooms through a fully-automated backroom system. Customers can choose additional sizes using the app, or proceed to the checkout using their Smartphone.”

GlobeSt.com is providing wall-to-wall coverage of ICSC's RECon show in Las Vegas May 19-22. Retail Ticket will provide coverage of the event through the end of May, featuring pre-event articles, live video interviews on site and post-conference analysis. Contact Scott Thompson at [email protected] about how your firm can participate.