CALGARY - Retail sales in Alberta are expected to lead the country next year in rate of growth as consumers will spend to the tune of nearly $62 billion for the year.

The Conference Board of Canada is forecasting an annual growth rate of 5.5 per cent for the province next year which would tie it with Ontario for the highest growth across the country. Nationally, sales are expected to rise by 4.9 per cent in 2011 to $458.1 billion.

The forecast for this year in Alberta is for 5.0 per cent growth to almost $58.7 billion, which is below Canada's increase of 5.7 per cent to $436.9 billion.

The Alberta retail landscape for this year and next is no surprise to the CrossIron Mills development in Balzac, just north of Calgary's city limits.

"Coach opening (April 10) was fabulous. It was beyond expectations. They really exceeded the targets," said Kelly Steward of the CrossIron Mills complex which includes the over one-million-square-foot shopping centre and the CrossIron Common big-box format beside the mall.

"We have Brooks Brothers opening this summer. The entertainment SilverCity and Xscape area is on target for the end of June. That is 45,000 square feet. There's a huge area with virtual bowling, arcade games, licensed lounge component and seven theatres with about 1,300 seats."

Steward said other openings in the fall include Michael Kors and Swarovski in the mall and Costco and Lowe's at CrossIron Common.

"There's definitely a lot of exciting new store openings that are coming up for 2010," she said.

Also, riding the wave of retail renewal this year are multimillion-dollar redevelopments and expansions at Chinook Centre and the downtown CORE (Calgary Eaton Centre-TD Square). The Alberta retail industry has rebounded following an 8.4 per cent decline in 2009 -- the steepest in the country.

"Solid economic fundamentals, high levels of consumer confidence and employment will continue to fuel retail sales across Alberta," said Mike Kehoe, an Alberta-based retail specialist with Fairfield Commercial Real Estate Inc.

"The province will continue to be insulated from the economic downturns that have unfolded in other regions across the country and it is generally agreed in retail circles that there are now two distinct economies -- Alberta and the rest of Canada. The province continues to enjoy a high standard of living and continued economic prosperity that will be reflected in solid consumer confidence and retail sales into next year."

Kehoe said retail expansion across the province, such as new shopping centre development and redevelopment, continues to outpace other regions in Canada with several new retail projects in the planning and pre-leasing stages.

The conference board's economic forecast for Alberta supports the growth in the retail industry. The board is forecasting 23,000 jobs to be created this year in the province and 72,000 in 2011.

Disposable income per capita will rise by 2.5 per cent this year to $38,298 and by 3.4 per cent in 2011 to $39,616.

Also, the conference board forecasts personal income per capita to rise by 2.4 per cent this year to $48,932 and by 4.2 per cent next year to $50,982.