"What we are seeing is that as Wal-Mart Supercenters, CostcoWholesale, SuperTarget and similar warehouse clubs grow, food andbeverage stores, which include traditional grocery stores, aretaking a big hit," Marks says.

The former Trammell Crow Co. executive says "the most recentstatistics show Orlando growth of 18,900 jobs [2.1% growth rate] intotal non-agricultural employment over the last 12 months [July2003 to July 2004]" but the "retail trade was flat with a 0.6%growth rate." Still, he says, "some types of retail establishmentsgrew and some declined."

Marks says "some of the most significant employment growth wasin construction, real estate, professional and business services,education and health services and leisure and hospitality. "Realestate and construction are red hot in Central Florida," he adds."With the aging baby boomer generation in their prime spendingyears, development is destined for strong, long-term growth."