“We’re seeing more and more shopping centers and malls being redeveloped into hybrid centers, in part because our industry is getting smarter about the impact of local demographics. Twenty years ago, all malls looked the same with a cookie-cutter, formulaic mix of tenets, and now we’re seeing individual communities become a much more important part of the picture in selecting retailers. Local chef-driven restaurant concepts—an emerging trend of the past few years—have truly hit their stride. Today, developers are seeing these concepts as draws that can really broaden the appeal and reach of a specific center. It’s all about creating unique destinations for shoppers.” – Jeff Green, president of Phoenix-based Jeff Green Partners, talking about this year’s retail trend impacting metro Phoenix and his biggest takeaways from RECon, an annual convention for the shopping center industry that took place this month.