
POST CONFERENCE REPORT
Key Insights from the Industry’s Biggest Event
Our team attended ICSC Las Vegas 2026 with 40 professionals, conducting over 400 meetings with retailers, developers, and industry leaders.
The retail real estate industry gathered in Las Vegas last month for ICSC Las Vegas 2026, the largest retail real estate conference in the world. More than 20,000 attendees, 500+ exhibitors, and 125+ retailers came together to discuss expansion plans, investment activity, consumer trends, and the future of brick-and-mortar retail.Â
What’s inside this report:
- Retailer Expansion Plans
- Economic Outlook
- Financing & Development
- Market Trends
- Boots on the Ground takeaways
For communities focused on retail recruitment and economic development, the message was clear: retail is not slowing down. In many ways, the industry has moved beyond recovery and entered a new phase defined by strong demand, limited supply, and increasing competition for quality development opportunities.
This report compiles insights from three days of meetings at the industry’s largest gathering.

Download the Report
More Resources
& Articles
-
Where growth is headed: Economic development and retail expansion in small towns
Retail follows rooftops, and rooftops follow jobs. That order matters for every community working to attract new stores and restaurants, because the strongest retail recruitment story usually starts with an economic development win. When a manufacturer expands, a distribution center breaks ground or a new neighborhood gets approved, retailers notice. The past few months delivered…
-
Smaller boxes, smaller towns: Two retail trends rural and mid-sized communities can use now
Our team spends time in communities all over the country, working with the brokers, developers, and retailers who shape what gets built and where. Those conversations give us a clear view of where national brands are headed. Here’s what stands out right now, and what it means for retail recruitment in small towns. Trend one…
-
The Sales Tax Report 2026
Community Resource
-
How Retail Recruitment Works: From Market Analysis to New Store Openings
For many community leaders, retail recruitment can feel like a mystery. Residents ask why a favorite restaurant isn’t in town. City councils want to see new retail development. Developers are looking for tenants. Yet many communities aren’t sure what actually happens behind the scenes to attract new retailers. The reality is that successful retail recruitment…






