Our interview guest is Elliott Cook, Director of Real Estate for Downtown Strategies. We spoke with him at ICSC about what makes for a vibrant downtown area in small- to mid-sized markets, how these markets can attract retailers to the area, and which types of retailers might be a fit for such business districts. In news, Big Lots reacts to a rough quarter by scaling back growth plans, Ulta Beauty continues to excel, and Bon-Ton may be getting (another) new lease on life.