My column which appeared in the Herald-Tribune on Tuesday, Aug. 19, to promote my mall series coming that weekend.
Coming soon: A report on the state of the state’s retail
Earlier this summer, I hit the road to check out some of Florida’s coolest shopping centers.
… You can read about the malls in a two-part retail series for the Herald-Tribune, which begins Sunday. The Herald-Tribune is committed to covering retail news as it happens, and will soon debut a new way for readers to catch up on all the shopping news in Southwest Florida. So stay tuned.
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Part One: Southwest Florida malls evolving with clients in mind
By Justine Griffin for the Herald-Tribune. Published: Aug. 24, A1
Editor’s Note: Retail reporter Justine Griffin toured shopping malls across the state this summer. This story is the first installment of a two-part series looking at malls and how they’ve changed over the years.
The shopping scene in Southwest Florida is about to change as we know it, as retailers and mall operators brace for the entrance of a behemoth new player.
Opening in 53 days, the $315 million Mall at University Town Center — packed with tenants like Apple, Crate & Barrel and Saks Fifth Avenue — will become the most upscale retail center between Tampa and Naples and the only new traditional mall opening in the country.
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Part Two: Shopping Malls evolve to stay relevant
By Justine Griffin for the Herald-Tribune. Published Aug. 25.
Editor’s Note: Retail reporter Justine Griffin toured shopping malls across the state this summer. This is the second of two stories looking at shopping malls and how they have changed over the years.
South Florida is the state’s shopping mecca.
International travelers flock to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to buy from the dozen shopping centers that dot the tri-county area.
These shopping malls, which range from upscale to outlet, are some of the busiest and most cutting edge in the country.
Sawgrass Mills is a massive outlet mall in Broward County with more than 2,383,906 square feet of space. And there’s Aventura Mall, situated between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, which offers one of the most upscale experiences in the nation.
But South Florida is not immune to the struggles that the retail industry has faced since the Great Recession.
Sales dipped and once successful brand names, like department store Lord & Taylor, shuttered amid the downturn. But the market has rebounded in recent years, and several new properties have opened.
Southwest Florida isn’t all that different.