Henry G. Beer, co-chairman of Boulder, CO-based design firm sayshe has high hopes for chains popping up around the country wherepeople can drop off items to be sold on eBay for a small fee. "Ithink that is going to uncork huge amounts of discretionarybuying," he said, because shoppers will use the money they receivefrom those offerings to visit other stores in a center. Churchesare other high-traffic developments that might start anchoringshopping centers, he predicts.

After a dry spell of retailer expansions, household names likeAbercrombie & Fitch and Gap Inc. are testing new concepts,points out Dana Cohen, a managing director at Banc Of America. Andsome companies that have had problems aren't shutting stores orfiling for bankruptcy, she said. "The dead are not dying anymore,"she said. "Companies like Mervyns get bought." However, Cohenpredicts that in five-to-10 years there will be fewer big-boxretailers than there are now.

But big box chains have potential to change, says Ron Pompei,president of New York City-based design firm Pompei A.D. "A big boxis an amazing opportunity," he said. "They're not big stores;they're small villages."