While official reports aren’t expected until January 7, many retailers have initially declared increases this past holiday-shopping season (Black Friday through Christmas Eve). Some reports indicated an increase up to 15.5 percent for online sales and an overall increase of 3.6 percent. In support of the online increase, Cyber Monday, which is the first Monday following Black Friday when retailers offer online sales on the heels of Black Friday deals, saw a 5.5 percent increase over last year; however, Black Friday sales could have increased by a mere .5 percent. Of those consumers who purchased holiday gifts online, more people reported being influenced by user-generated ratings and reviews. Furthermore, an increasing amount of consumers followed their favorite retailers via Twitter and Facebook Connect to be advised of the latest coupons, offers and sales.

So does this mean our economy is on the mend? Perhaps. As I write on the eve of my New Year’s trip to Las Vegas, I look to my destination city’s economic situation. Unemployment in Vegas is at about 12.1 percent. Tourism has decreased, despite incredible airfare deals. Gaming revenues are on the decline. In 2007, the Palazzo opened, followed by Encore in 2008, but both are struggling to fill rooms. So how does the Vegas economy respond? Earlier this month, the $11-billion City Center opened, marking the completion of the most-expensive privately funded construction project in U.S. history. Complete with 4,004 rooms set on 68 acres, this mini-city hosts its own fire station and power plant, along with an entertainment district, a casino, a theater (to feature Cirque du Soleil’s seventh production based on Elvis Presley), high-end restaurants, high-rate hotel rooms, condos, spas, exclusive retailers like Gucci and Cartier, water fountains and parking structures. Sounds like a typical lavish Vegas display, so what’s the problem?

In addition to being over the top, the new, eco-friendly City Center megaresort, which is a joint venture of Dubai World and MGM Mirage, unofficially targets upscale living and tourism, not the majority of consumers on budgets. Vegas is putting its eggs in the City-Center basket and hedging bets that this will take the city’s economy from decline to resurgence. After all, foreclosure rates in Nevada are among the nation’s highest, and Vegas is coping amidst the worst-global economy since the Great Depression.

This project is not a reflection on consumers’ changing behaviors and trends. During a time when the economy is struggling to stay afloat, Vegas business leaders laid out the welcome mat for a small percentage of tourists and travelers. They failed to respond to an increasing trend of affordability, frugality, budget monitoring and limited spending. We live in a time when more consumers are using coupons and discounts to get what they need or want. Furthermore, this project adds additional lodging capacity in a city that is already begging overnight visitors to fill its rooms; if City Center flourishes, it may just be at the expense of surrounding hotels and resorts, who won’t necessarily be singing “Viva Las Vegas.”

You can conclude your own opinions from this. But for my final blog post of the decade, I ask that your preparations and outlook for 2010 and beyond be in response to your customers’ current needs and behavioral trends such as media usage. For example, the retailers that posted profits this past holiday season did so by adapting to the rise in social media and consumers’ need for online coupons and deals. By keeping these factors in mind for your business plan, you won’t be putting all your eggs in one basket. You’ll have a cross-platform, multi-channel strategy that you can test and revise.