LAS VEGAS-In contrast to the positivity high that most retailers are riding on at ICSC’s 2011 RECon here, Jonathan Miller, a partner with New York City-based Miller Ryan LLC says there are some negatives to consider in the coming years for the retail markets. Whereas prior to 2008 was considered the “Period of More,” Miller said during a general session here that consumers in the United States are now entering the “Era of Less.”

He said struggling fundamentals, rising energy costs and lower paying jobs today will force families to spend less than in the past few years. “It’s not going to be terrible, but we’ll only see anemic growth, it will affect all of us in the retail business,” Miller said.

Other experts had the opposite view, however. Ed Indvik, recently named as CEO for Los Angeles-based Lee & Associates, said demand is growing so much he sees his firm’s 43 offices climbing to more than 100 offices in the next five years. “We see both agents and clients optimistic, we see confidence in retailers this year,” Indvik tells GlobeSt.com.

Bill French, SVP and principal at the Indianapolis office of Cassidy Turley, says there’s definitely been an increase in activity. “We saw a lot of businesses close over the last few years, now we’re seeing that slow down dramatically. Places like Indianapolis are seeing college educated young people move into downtowns, and we’re seeing companies create stores that can fit in these urban markets.”

However, Greg Schuster, managing director and principal for corporate services for Cassidy Turley, tells GlobeSt.com that the smaller-store movement probably won’t last if the economy returns. “Retailers live and die by SKUs, they just can’t do the sales volume that they need in these small stores.”

Click here for more RECon breaking  news, blogs and a Twitter feed.