If there is one booming business inside the shopping center industry, it’s that of third-party management. 

Shopping center management — whether you’re talking operational control, marketing programs and strategies, or leasing — is growing by leaps and bounds, as owners find alternative ways to fill the coffers when new construction is at a standstill.

Energy conservation remains a key priority for retailers as several factors, including new power plant regulations, threaten to increase volatility in the electricity market. Along with being a significant cost driver, energy management advances environmental goals. Indeed, it is typically the most cost-effective activity a retailer can undertake to become more sustainable, according to Marcus Boerkei, general manager of Siemens Retail & Commercial Systems, who spoke with Chain Store Age about how retailers can reduce their energy use.

While a Web presence is a prerequisite to doing business in the 21st century, the fact that 77% of consumers are now using tablet computers or smartphones to shop is forcing retailers to rethink their digital strategies, according to a survey from online price comparison engine PriceGrabber. Realizing this is not a decision to be taken lightly, retailers need to take steps to ensure that mobility can be an opportunity, and not a threat, to their business.

“Just when retailers thought they’d mastered payment card security, the rules changed.” This was the sentiment expressed by many grumbling IT executives when the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), Wakefield, Mass., announced that updated requirements, Version 2.0, for PCI Data Security Standards (DSS) would go into effect Jan. 1, with implementation required by the end of this calendar year.