• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 20, 2011

After a long period of curtailed expansion plans, retailers are ready to swing back to growth mode: A new survey from the National Retail Federation and KPMG finds that 41% of retail executives plan to increase store expansions this year. That compares to just 25% in last year's survey. Both Target and Dollar General have announced such expansion plans in recent weeks; Microsoft, Disney H&M and Nordstrom also have new units on the horizon.

M-commerce is also high on retailers' radar, with 69% of the execs surveyed saying mobile is an important strategic initiative, up from 28% a year ago. Cost cutting is still important, but it's less of a focus. This year, 58% report that cost reduction and cost containment programs will remain a strategic initiative in their company, down from 81%. Overseas expansion is also inching up on retailers' agenda: 25% say they plan to expand overseas, up from 21% a year ago.