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Seven retail adventures
Orange County is a shopping paradise with a wide variety of Edens.
By Melissa AdamsPublished: October 26, 2006
SEVEN RETAIL CENTERS | 1. SOUTH COAST PLAZA | 2. FASHION ISLAND | 3. IRVINE SPECTRUM CENTER | 4. SHOPS AT MISSION VIEJO | 5. DOWNTOWN DISNEY | 6. BELLA TERRA | 7. THE LAB and THE CAMP | RETAIL WRAP |
For retailers ranging from the world's toniest designers to national discount chains and niche boutiques, one truth is abundantly clear: Orange County is the Promised Land. With a newly hip image burnished by its own television soap opera and demographics that make it ever more synonymous with wealth, the nation's fourth most affluent county is light years from the bland suburban tapestry that began displacing citrus groves and bean fields half a century ago.
The shoppers who support this retail Eden are increasingly diverse. While still predominantly Caucasian (51%, according to the 2000 census), pockets of ethnic diversity are changing the retail landscape. In Santa Ana, Hispanics make up a full 76% of the population, while Irvine reports its citizenry as nearly 30% Asian. Add Westminster's Little Saigon and Anaheim's Little Egypt to the mix and you have a vibrant medley that helped boost sales at OC centers to $6.6 billion in 2005.
"Orange County's shopping scene has continued to evolve, even with space at a premium, because developers are not afraid to take risks - like bringing a Target or a Wal-Mart into a lifestyle center," observes Patrice Duker, manager of media relations for the International Council of Shopping Centers.
According to retail analyst Greg Stoffel of Gregory Stoffel & Associates, Orange County is a shopping mecca thanks to local centers' unique occupants. "It's not views or architecture or even ambiance that makes a great center," says Stoffel. "It's tenants." Calling South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island "the epicenter of quality shopping," Stoffel notes, "Having two centers with that kind of upscale retail mix so close together is a huge regional attraction that draws shoppers from all of Southern California and beyond."
South Coast Plaza
Location: 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa
Parking: Outdoor, covered and valet
Square footage: 2.8 million
Number of stores: 280
2005 annual gross revenue: $1.3 billion
What's cool: Concentration of designer boutiques; if you can't find a dress for the Oscars here, you can't find it anywhere.
Great place to eat: Pinot Provence
For more info: southcoastplaza.com or 800.782.8888
[South Coast Plaza]
Orange County's Fifth Avenue
It has the élan of New York's Fifth Avenue and the bling of Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive. With a bit of marketing brilliance that earned it the trademarked right to call itself "The Ultimate Shopping Resort," South Coast Plaza lures luxury shoppers from around the globe, who come to spend their considerable fortunes at such world-class outlets as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Christian Dior and Chanel.
As it looks forward to its 40th anniversary next year, the center with the nation's highest annual gross revenue embarked on a $30-million facelift in August, slated for completion in late 2007. With 150,000 square feet of cream-colored Roman Classic travertine flooring, what founding visionary Henry Segerstrom calls "a planned retail center" that's decidedly "not a mall" will welcome Bloomingdale's in the space vacated by Robinsons-May. The West Coast flagship store will join 25 additional new retailers next spring.
Other architectural enhancements will include a sleek glass observation elevator near Jewel Court, transparent glass guardrails and teak benches integrated into travertine-clad planters. The effort is the first major renovation since 1999, when the former Crystal Court on Bear Street was linked to the main center with a landscaped pedestrian bridge. With the majority of the work taking place at night, there will be little disruption for shoppers.
"For its mix of upscale retailers and good restaurants, there's still nothing that makes you feel better than a trip to 'Henry's place,'" comments Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, who once famously quipped, "If I could steal anything from Orange County for Los Angeles, it would be South Coast Plaza."
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For retailers ranging from the world's toniest designers to national discount chains and niche boutiques, one truth is abundantly clear: Orange County is the Promised Land. With a newly hip image burnished by its own television soap opera and demographics that make it ever more synonymous with wealth, the nation's fourth most affluent county is light years from the bland suburban tapestry that began displacing citrus groves and bean fields half a century ago. The shoppers who support this retail Eden are increasingly diverse. While still predominantly Caucasian (51%, according to the 2000 census), pockets of ethnic diversity are changing the retail landscape. In Santa Ana, Hispanics make up a full 76% of the population, while Irvine reports its citizenry as nearly 30% Asian. Add Westminster's Little Saigon and Anaheim's Little Egypt to the mix and you have a vibrant medley that helped boost sales at OC centers to $6.6 billion in 2005. "Orange County's shopping scene has continued to evolve, even with space at a premium, because developers are not afraid to take risks - like bringing a Target or a Wal-Mart into a lifestyle center," observes Patrice Duker, manager of media relations for the International Council of Shopping Centers. According to retail analyst Greg Stoffel of Gregory Stoffel & Associates, Orange County is a shopping mecca thanks to local centers' unique occupants. "It's not views or architecture or even ambiance that makes a great center," says Stoffel. "It's tenants." Calling South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island "the epicenter of quality shopping," Stoffel notes, "Having two centers with that kind of upscale retail mix so close together is a huge regional attraction that draws shoppers from all of Southern California and beyond." South Coast Plaza Location: 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa Parking: Outdoor, covered and valet Square footage: 2.8 million Number of stores: 280 2005 annual gross revenue: $1.3 billion What's cool: Concentration of designer boutiques; if you can't find a dress for the Oscars here, you can't find it anywhere. Great place to eat: Pinot Provence For more info: southcoastplaza.com or 800.782.8888 [South Coast Plaza] Orange County's Fifth Avenue It has the élan of New York's Fifth Avenue and the bling of Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive. With a bit of marketing brilliance that earned it the trademarked right to call itself "The Ultimate Shopping Resort," South Coast Plaza lures luxury shoppers from around the globe, who come to spend their considerable fortunes at such world-class outlets as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Christian Dior and Chanel. As it looks forward to its 40th anniversary next year, the center with the nation's highest annual gross revenue embarked on a $30-million facelift in August, slated for completion in late 2007. With 150,000 square feet of cream-colored Roman Classic travertine flooring, what founding visionary Henry Segerstrom calls "a planned retail center" that's decidedly "not a mall" will welcome Bloomingdale's in the space vacated by Robinsons-May. The West Coast flagship store will join 25 additional new retailers next spring. Other architectural enhancements will include a sleek glass observation elevator near Jewel Court, transparent glass guardrails and teak benches integrated into travertine-clad planters. The effort is the first major renovation since 1999, when the former Crystal Court on Bear Street was linked to the main center with a landscaped pedestrian bridge. With the majority of the work taking place at night, there will be little disruption for shoppers. "For its mix of upscale retailers and good restaurants, there's still nothing that makes you feel better than a trip to 'Henry's place,'" comments Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, who once famously quipped, "If I could steal anything from Orange County for Los Angeles, it would be South Coast Plaza." |
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