Faith Hope Consolo - Fresh from ICSC's RECon, retail is back!

As I write this, I've just returned from RECon, ICSC's intimate gathering of 30,000-plus retail and retail real estate professionals from around the world. And the main message I can pass on is that the industry is back! From the moment I arrived in Las Vegas, it was clear that the mood was a 180° reversal from the last time I was there two years ago. We've survived, and now we're ready to thrive! Most encouraging was that I saw reports of, and held meetings for, some new developments and redevelopments. It's certainly not the insanity of the mid-2000s, and it shouldn't be. But it's a sign that we have made an appropriately cautious comeback. RECon also had more exciting news for New York City professionals. NYcrew, the New York chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Women Network (CREW), made a successful debut with its first-ever booth at the conference's leasing mall. For three days, my colleagues on the board and I met retailers and real estate pros from around the world, discussing the benefits of joining NYcrew or our parent organization CREW, talking about all of the business being done in New York, learning more about what was going on around the rest of the country, and finding a few deals ourselves. We shared the booth with ICSC's Women's Special Industry Group (SIG) program, which I've been honored to chair for the past year, so we also were delighted to talk about our experiences with that initiative-several NYcrew members were kind enough to work with me on our regional roundtables in 2010 and 2011. And that leads to me to what was undoubtedly my favorite two hours of the entire trip, the first anniversary celebration of the Women's SIG: "A 'View' From the Top: A Women's SIG Spectacular," which kicked off the show on Sunday, May 22 at the Las Vegas Hilton. More than 300 men and women attended a champagne reception, followed by one of the most extraordinary panels I've ever been a part of. I was thrilled to moderate an industry-centric version of the Emmy-winning talk show, "The View," joined by Holly Cohen, senior vice president of real estate, planning and construction of J. Crew Group; Terri Simard, vice president of law for Target Corp.; Renée West, president and COO of Excalibur and Luxor Hotel and Casino; and Elaine Wynn, a director of Wynn Resorts. We were honored that ICSC's now-chairman, David Henry, president, CEO and vice chairman of Kimco Realty Corp., took the time from his packed schedule to attend and give a brief industry overview, discussing the benefits of a two-year break from new development and globalization. His support clearly meant the world to those of us involved in the planning of these events to all of the attendees to the panelists themselves. And what a panel! I expected good industry information, and we received that in droves, from how the downturn helped the sales at both Target and J. Crew, as shoppers even at luxury levels searched for value, to the challenges it posed to the more discretionary expenditures at the resorts and how they adapted. We also weren't surprised that our group of extraordinarily accomplished women offered great advice about how to succeed in business because you're really trying, including not sweating the small stuff, and getting past perfectionism. But what really made this session exceptional was the personal stories all of us shared, from balancing work and home life to the importance of giving back to your community to the mentors who meant the most to each of us. I'm not embarrassed to admit that we laughed, we teared up, and we learned a lot. And so did our audience. It was a great way to celebrate a first birthday! On the local front, Malia Mills is opening a popup at Bird Williamsburg, 203 Grand St. TopShop has opened a secret pop-up at its 478 Broadway store that will let its designers and in-house design team to innovate. Those into minimalist styles should try Patron of the New at 15 Franklin St. Yumi Kim's second store has opened at 1331 Third Ave., while Joie's first U.S. shop has come to 1196 Madison. Jimmy Choo will open this summer at 407 Bleecker St. Look for Erwin Pearl's bling at 300 Madison Ave. Krizia's flagship has opened at 446 West 14th St. You'll soon find Muska Milano's bags at 1086 Madison Ave. Ash's edgy but affordable shoes have come from Italy to 44 Mercer St. Milly's store brings more accessories to 900 Madison Ave. The big boxes continue to open, with HomeGoods the latest at 795 Columbus Ave. Apple may be looking at Grand Central Terminal again, this time at the Metrazur space. Gap's Athleta division has signed for a space at 86th St. and Third Ave. Last month, I wrote about how May was the most wonderful time of the year. The events proved that was an understatement! Faith Hope Consolo is the chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman's Retail Group, New York, N.Y.