LAS VEGAS–RECon's schedule may change, butretail concerns certainly have not. The challenge of e-commerce andhow best to partner with it remains a focus here, particularly asit results in evolutions to store and center design.

One of the discussions of the show is the opening of theLeasing Mall on Sunday this year, rather than thetraditional Monday, shaving a day off theschedule. Foot traffic appeared relatively light at the LasVegas Convention Center on Sunday, as many attendeesarrived late that day (a lot of people reported graduations). I'vebeen told, however, that the meetings that were held were longerthan normal and extremely productive.

But that's not the only change on the minds of attendees. On thepositive side, the continuing recovery is giving more opportunityfor new retailers. The down side, however, is that they should besmaller, more shallow, and probably will have to share the centerwith more food tenants, according to interviews I've conducted inLas Vegas.