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General Manager’s Note — November 2008

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Written by Laura Wickett Friday, 21 November 2008

The International Council of Shopping Centers held its regional conference in San Antonio at the end of October. Having heard about the ICSC’s annual national gathering of retailers in Las Vegas each May, I was curious about what the Texas regional conference would entail.

One lecturer cited a consumer confidence poll based on attitudes about the local economy, major purchases, personal finances and job security that was released in October. According to the poll, consumer confidence was at 37 — it is normally in the 80s. A breakout session about lending was bleak at best. And yet, there were developers in attendance looking for a deal and ready to invest.

Michael Kercheval, ICSC president, noted that for every 1 cent decline in gas prices, there is an additional $1 billion added to consumer spending. Everyone is excited about the lower prices, which seem to ease the burden of the national financial crisis on our individual lives.

While the national forecast is intimidating, locally Cedar Park and Leander are growing. Even if expansion plans are slower than expected for the next 12 months, retailers are still expanding. This month, we feature a retail guide of locally owned and Texas-based retailers.

Community Impact continues to expand as well. An online resource tool, health.impactnews.com, will help you search for local doctor and hospital information. On Nov. 14, we launched our sixth sister publication in Central Austin. The people living and working there now have access to the same quality news you have experienced for the past two and a half years.

Laura Wickett

lwickett@impactnews.com