ARE U.S. CONSUMERS COMING BACK?

posted by Michael Chihak

Terry Lundgren graduated from the University of Arizona in 1974 and now heads one of the country's biggest retail operations, Macy's Inc.

Lundgren and fellow retailing executives will be in Tucson this week for the University of Arizona's Global Retailing Conference, looking at innovation in retailing.

We will speak with Lundgren and others for Friday's Arizona Week to get updates on the status of retailing in the United States. Among our questions:

• What's the balance between brick-and-mortar stores and online shopping?

• What are the traditional department stores such as Macy's doing to compete in the cyber shopping world?

• How big a part of the business is it expected to become?

• What are the innovations coming that will make the shopper's experience -- whether in the store or online -- more satisfying, both for the shopper and the retailer?

• Will the American consumer return with the same force she had before the Great Recession?

• What are the permanent changes in retailing as a result of the recession?

• Are global markets more important than ever, with emerging middle classes now in many countries?