Articles from ICSC

ICSC’s 2025 Thanksgiving Weekend Intentions survey found that Americans are once again gearing up to spend during a weekend of deals and promotions. Between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday this year, 88% of U.S. adults – representing approximately 235 million people – plan to spend $127 billion, more than last year.

Generation X may be among the smallest generational cohorts, but new research from ICSC shows they are one of retail’s most valuable and underestimated consumers. Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X has the highest revenue per shopper (RPS), or average purchase, across nearly every category, drives 31% of in-store and online spending, yet represents only 19% of the U.S. population. Examining $5 trillion in-store and online retail spending across five years and 426 retailers, this comprehensive study shows why Gen X holds the outsized spending power that brands should be fighting for.

Retail sales are expected to grow 3.5% to 4.0% this holiday season bringing the total expected spend in excess of $1.7T, according to ICSC’s 2025 holiday shopping forecast. ICSC also released the results of its annual Holiday Shopping Intentions Survey exploring consumer expectations for the season, finding that 243 million consumers (91%) plan to shop this year, increasing from last year.

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ICSC:

ICSC announced today the promotion of Moutray McLaren to the role of Executive Vice President, Public Policy. McLaren previously served as Senior Vice President, Public Policy at ICSC, and will take on the new role following the retirement of Betsy Laird.

Today, ICSC announced that the world’s largest commercial real estate gathering, ICSC LAS VEGAS, will again convene the industry’s leading professionals and organizations in Las Vegas, Nevada from May 18-20, 2025. Attendees can expect networking, dealmaking, and professional development opportunities at this year’s event, which will highlight how the commercial real estate industry continues to remain a vital catalyst for growth in any economic climate.

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ICSC announced today that the organization’s Board of Trustees elected Angele Robinson-Gaylord, Starbucks Senior Vice President, Store Development Americas, to serve as ICSC’s Chairman and John Peter (JP) Suarez, Former Walmart International Regional CEO, Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer, to serve as Vice Chairman for the 2025 term.

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ICSC's Thanksgiving Weekend Intentions survey shows that consumer spending is expected to reach nearly $125 billion during the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, as 90% of consumers – or 236 million people – plan to shop.

ICSC announced today that Whitney Livingston will join as Chief Operating Officer in March 2025, succeeding Valerie Richardson, who plans to retire at the end of 2025. Livingston will oversee ICSC’s day-to-day operational functions.

Retail sales are expected to grow 3.0% to 3.5% this holiday season, according to ICSC’s 2024 holiday shopping forecast. ICSC projects a 6.0% increase in food-and-beverage sales as well, bringing the total expected spend for the season to $1.66T. In addition to the forecast, ICSC also released the results of its Annual Holiday Shopping Intentions Survey, which found that 241 million (92%) consumers plan to shop this year – six million more than in 2023 and the highest percentage since 2019.

ICSC:

ICSC:

ICSC announced today that ICSC LAS VEGAS, the world’s largest commercial real estate gathering, will return to Las Vegas, Nevada from May 19 through 21. Blending forward-looking insights and historical perspective, this year’s event will examine the ever-evolving industry landscape and the experiences that shape it.

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Today, ICSC released its latest report, The Halo Effect III: Where the Halo Shines, quantifying the impact of opening or closing physical stores on online sales and retailers’ overall performance. The study – the third installment in ICSC’s industry-leading research on the halo effect of brick-and-mortar retail on online sales – proves again the power of physical retail by demonstrating that a new store boosts online sales, while a closed store impedes them.

ICSC announced today that the organization’s Board of Trustees elected Jim Taylor, President & CEO of Brixmor Property Group, to serve as ICSC’s Chairman and Angele Robinson-Gaylord, Senior Vice President, Store Development Americas of Starbucks, to serve as Vice Chairman for the 2024 term.

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Consumers expect to spend a total of $130B during the upcoming holiday shopping weekend, a 4 percent increase from last year’s spending expectations, according to the new ICSC Thanksgiving Weekend Intentions survey. Ninety percent of consumers plan to shop in the period beginning on Thanksgiving Day and ending on Cyber Monday, with two in five expecting to spend more on goods than last year.

Retail sales are expected to grow 3.8 percent this holiday season, according to ICSC’s 2023 holiday shopping forecast. Additionally, ICSC is forecasting a 7.6 percent increase on F&B, bringing the total expected spend for the season to $1.60T. Today, ICSC also released the results of its Annual Holiday Shopping Intentions Survey, which found that 235 million (90 percent) consumers plan to shop this year.

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As part of a continued effort to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the Marketplaces Industry, today, the ICSC Foundation announced a partnership with Project Destined, a social impact platform that provides under-represented students with training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and real estate. Through the partnership, the ICSC Foundation and Project Destined launched a Retail Real Estate Bridge Program, offering diverse undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in a hands-on learning program to gain a deeper understanding of a career in retail real estate.

Today, ICSC released the results of its latest study, The Rise of the Gen Z Consumer, which examines the shopping habits, behaviors, and factors that most influence how the cohort interacts with retailers, the Marketplaces Industry, and the economy. The results depict a generation that is keenly aware of the state of the economy as their spending power grows – and balances being cost-conscious with being willing to pay for convenience and quality.

ICSC today announced ICSC MARKETPLACES IQ, a centralized platform to search commercial and retail properties for lease or sale, perform market research, and conduct analyses, in partnership with Realtors Property Resource, LLC®, RPR, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Association of REALTORS®, is the nation’s largest property database.

Today, ICSC is holding its Organized Retail Crime Summit, marking the organization’s first-ever event dedicated to addressing the impact of organized retail crime (ORC) on retailers and the Marketplaces Industry. The summit, held in partnership with the Loss Prevention Research Council which is located in the University of Florida INNOVATE Hub, will help attendees better understand the impact of ORC on their business and how they can work to mitigate it across the industry.

Today, ICSC announced their participation in an industry-wide alliance to foster supplier diversity in the real estate industry. The Commercial Real Estate Diverse Supplier (CREDS) Consortium, made up of seven real estate trade associations, aims to meet growing interest from companies in real estate to further diversify their supply chains while also encouraging procurement of services from Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs).

Today, ICSC announced its support of S. 140, the “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023,” introduced by Senators Charles “Chuck” Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). The legislation establishes a coordinated multi-agency response and creates new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail crime (ORC). The bill is an important step toward addressing the growing issue of ORC, a crime that not only harms communities and retail centers but also threatens the safety of consumers and retail workers alike.

ICSC announced today that Glenn Rufrano, former Chief Executive Officer of VEREIT, will continue as the organization’s Chairman, and Jim Taylor, President & Chief Executive Officer of Brixmor Property Group, will serve as Vice Chairman for the 2023 term.

Consumers are approaching the upcoming holiday shopping weekend with optimism, as the new ICSC Thanksgiving Weekend Intentions survey found that consumers plan to spend a total of $125B - a 10 percent increase over 2021, even with the holiday shopping season starting earlier this year than in previous years. On average, 89 percent of consumers expect to shop in the period beginning Thanksgiving Day and ending on Cyber Monday, despite concern around inflation and rising interest rates.

Shoppers expect to increase their spending in the 2022 holiday season by 6.7 percent, driven by an increased focus on deals and promotions, an earlier start to the holiday season, and inflation, according to ICSC’s Annual Holiday Shopping Intentions Survey. ICSC is also forecasting an increase of 9.9 percent on dining, bringing the total spending for the season to $1.56 trillion.

Today, ICSC announced its support of S.5046, the “Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act of 2022”, introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez-Mastro (D-NV) which is a pivotal step towards addressing the growing problem of organized retail theft (ORC); a crime which not only harms communities and retail centers but also threatens the safety of consumers and retail workers alike. ORC involves a criminal enterprise employing a group of individuals (2 or more) who steal substantial quantities of merchandise from a retailer(s). According to the Buy Safe America Coalition, as much as $68.9 billion worth of merchandise was stolen from retailers in 2019. The proposed legislation would adapt existing federal statutes to address some of the specific elements related to ORC.

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Today, ICSC released its 2022 State of the Industry Report examining the Marketplaces Industry and its ongoing transformation in a rapidly evolving business environment. The report analyzes key indicators and data that point to the strength of the industry, the core challenges facing retailers, the state of consumer confidence, and emerging trends and innovations that will help marketplaces continue to invigorate communities.

Today, ICSC released the results of its Small Business Consumer Survey that found that 94% of adults either shop, spend at or use the services of small businesses. Over half of consumers, 54%, are spending at small businesses at least once a week and 42% frequent establishments more now than before the pandemic.

As retail sales grew 17% year-over-year in November and December, ICSC’s 2021 Post-Holiday Survey has found that consumers spent an average of $1,011 this holiday season with 226M people spending money on holiday gifts.

ICSC:

ICSC announced today at ICSC-Here, We Go. 2021, that ICSC’s Board of Trustees elected Glenn Rufrano, former CEO, VEREIT, to serve as the organization’s Chairman and Pat Donahue as Vice Chairman for the 2022 term. Glenn Rufrano succeeds John R. Morrison, CRX, CDP, as ICSC’s 62nd Chairman.

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Consumers are preparing for Thanksgiving Weekend with careful enthusiasm, as the new ICSC Thanksgiving Weekend Intentions survey found that 86 percent of consumers are expected to shop in the period beginning Thanksgiving Day and ending on Cyber Monday. On average, shoppers are projected to spend an average of $491 over the course of the weekend. Retailers capable of meeting consumer shopping, purchasing and delivery demands, both online and in-person, will be best positioned for success during the holiday shopping season.

Consumer shopping habits changed during the pandemic, but only temporarily, according to a new study by ICSC and Placer.ai, “The Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Shopping Patterns from 2019-2021”. The findings explore consumer foot traffic, shifts in day and time consumers shopped, length of stay and basket size over the past two years.

Back-to-school shoppers in 2021 are more than ready for a fresh start this fall after schooling at home during the pandemic. Our ICSC Back-to-School Survey reveals similar planning and shopping habits among consumers this year as compared to 2019 as back-to-school shoppers plan to spend an average of $954 on school related items as compared to 2019 ($961) and 2020 ($1,053).

ICSC announced today the launch of its new “Innovating Commerce Serving Communities” brand positioning, reflecting the organization’s role in promoting and elevating the marketplaces and spaces where consumers shop, dine, work, play and gather as foundational and vital ingredients of communities and economies. ICSC’s rebrand initiative highlights how ICSC, its members and the industry have evolved and demonstrates the broad impact they have on commerce, communities, and culture.

As part of a continued effort to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in retail real estate, ICSC and its Foundation recently announced the Launch Academy – a unique new program under its Talent Incubator Project umbrella designed to recruit and prepare racially diverse undergraduate students for a career in the industry. Racially diverse professionals account for less than 2% of leadership in commercial real estate (CRE); ICSC recognizes the critical need for diversity in the sector and has established the Launch Academy to create change at the entry level and mentor the next generation of leaders.