VistaLakes01

Surprisingly, Orlando's stores seem to be larger and more well stocked than those in Tampa. Back in the 80's I was a men's buyer for Robinson's Florida and then Maison Blanche here in Orlando. We were able to sell merchandise that was too fashion foward for New Orleans (Maison Blanche) Our Dior store here is larger than the Tampa location. I believe someone said also that Atlanta does not have Zara, we have quite a large store here. I read press release from Neiman Marcus that the Tampa store was surprisingly the top performing store in Florida and the one year later when Orlando opened it became Florida's top performing Neiman's. The Orlando retail market is pretty similar to Miami's now. With the huge growth in Orlando, these are the top places people moving to Orlando come from: 1. New York 2. California 3. Puerto Rico 4. South Florida 5. New Jersey The difference in Tampa/ St. Pete is: 1. Ohio 2. Michigan 3. Illinois 4. Indiana 5. South Florida I'm not saying the Orlando retail market is comparable to Atlanta, it is just a lot younger and is developing its own identity. The Orlando metro added 142,000 new residents between 2005-06 and majority of them came from those top 5 places. Tampa Bay metro added 92,000 new residents, the majority coming from those conservative midwestern top 5 places. So give us a chance, we are becoming slightly cosmopolitan more rapidly than most cities in the south with high growth rates!!

So far the new Belk's in West Oaks Mall is identical to Parisian, but that's mainly because they haven't really changed anything, same look and same merchandise. I haven't been to the Belk's in Seminole Town Center but that's way on the north end of the metro. I've always considered that mall a little more "redneckish" since it gets a lot of business from the Western Volusia suburbs (Deltona) which is known for it's cheaper home prices. There is an upscale lifestyle center about a mile from that mall called Colonial Town Park that attracts more of the upscale shoppers from Lake Mary and Heathrow. West Oaks Mall lost their upper element when Mall at Millenia opened, the Gap left the mall and a lot of mom & pop "hip hop" stores have opened, although a Hollister opened there recently. Since you are a "mallguy" as well as myself, I was wondering if we have any stores here in Orlando @ Millenia or Florida Mall that are not in the Atlanta market? Think you could research that for me? Florida Mall is a simon property and Millenia is a Taubman mall. Thanks!!

Hey Atlanta........it could be worse, your Parisian could be replaced by McCraes. We had two Parisian stores in Orlando (neither at a premier center) and for about 6 month's they became MCraes. Now they are Belk and they are halfway decent stores. Nothing like the Belk's that left Orlando in the 80's (Belk-Lindsey) they were horrible. Neiman Marcus would be the smallest sq ft. department store in Millenia, about 100,000 sq feet. Bloomingdale's in Millenia was actually built as a Bloomingdale's , is 3 levels with furniture dept. and was not converted from a Macy's. Also the Macy's in Millenia was built as Macy's before the Burdine's/Macy's conversion and is also quite large and 3 levels. We call it "the real Macy's." We have a Dior in Millenia as well as a Zara store and there is a spot with a sign that says Manolo Blahnik opening fall of 2006 (2 stores away from Jimmy Choo). We still have the only Lord & Taylor operating in the southeast at The Florida Mall. Florida Mall maintains a Sears and JCPenney, as well as L &T, Saks 5th Ave, Nordstrom, and Dillards. Ironically the Florida Mall location of Saks was originally a horrible Belk-Lindsey store when the mall opened. The Jacobson's chain has resurrected itself in Florida with a location in Winter Park and Naples. There was a rumor that the Florida Mall location of Lord & Taylor would become Jacobson's if it ever closes but it is beginning to sound like it may not close. For those of you who speak of shopping at International Plaza in Tampa, I hope you checked out Orlando's retail scene first! Interational Plaza now has Robb & Stucky furniture store as one of their anchors as well as Dillard's. Tampa has no Bloomies, either, and Orlando is finally getting Florida's second IKEA store. I'm sure when you mention Atlanta as the retail mecca of the southeast, you are not including Florida. Miami is a lot closer for us than Atlanta and is primo retail wise. And we get lots of Duval (Jacksonville) license tags here in Orlando at Millenia and Florida Mall and even Altamonte which has become quite a shopping destination. (Belk and Dillards are the best Jax has got, not even a Macy's conversion) Most of my friends in Tampa Bay drive over to Orlando to shop frequently, it really isn't that much of a drive, both metros are pretty much connected. Cityplace in West Palm and The Gardens Mall, and Wellington Green all in Palm Beach county on the north end of the Miami metro (as well as Worth Ave) are pretty awesome retail locations also. I do enjoy Lenox when I'm in Atlanta, I was only in Phipps once in the 80's. (We are hearing rumors here of a downtown department store, have heard Barney's mentioned as well as Jacobson's.) Anyways, hello in the ATL from the O!