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Sales Up 2.3% at Biggest OC Shopping Centers

Taxable sales at the top 32 shopping centers in Orange County grew for the fifth straight year, but at a slower pace, according to this week’s Business Journal list.

Cashiers rang up about $7.3 billion during the 12-month period that ended June 30. That’s up 2.3% year-over-year—a modest increase compared to the 6.1% growth rate recorded for fiscal year 2012-13. Fourteen centers reported taxable sales increases, seven experienced declines, one was flat, and 10 reflect Business Journal estimates.

Retail centers didn’t slow down when it came to landing new tenants, renovating properties and adding restaurants to attract more shoppers.

Some examples from the top shopping centers on the list include:

• South Coast Plaza, the perennial No. 1 in OC, which had $1.4 billion in taxable sales, up $1.9% from same period last year. The Costa Mesa center, which held steady at 250 tenants, ushered in Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo and famed Chinese dumpling house Din Tai Fung this fall.

• Fashion Island in Newport Beach posted $642 million in taxable sales during the period, up 6.9% and good for second place. The outdoor mall added five stores—Halston Heritage, Kendra Scott, Brooks Brothers, Travis Mathew and See Eyewear—bringing its total to 170.

Red O, Fig & Olive, Blue C Sushi and Lemonade were among the new restaurants that opened during the period.

The fall season also was a busy one for the mall. Urban Decay Cosmetics LLC in Newport Beach opened a flagship store at Fashion Island, as did coffee brand Nespresso, See’s Candies, SoulCycle and Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza. Fashion Island also will welcome a 3,600-square-foot Louis Vuitton boutique that’s part of Neiman Marcus this month.

Brea Mall Up 4%

• Brea Mall, which is anchored by Nordstrom, Macy’s, JCPenney and Sears, placed No. 3 with $481 million in taxable sales, up 4% from a year earlier. Indianapolis-based owner Simon Property Group LP undertook a multimillion-dollar interior and exterior renovation that was completed last November. Stores that have since opened include City Chic, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics and Blaze Pizza, bringing the total to 197.

• The Market Place in Tustin posted $424 million in taxable sales, up 1.2%. It placed No. 4 with 125 tenants, five of which were new for the reporting period. Among them was Bonefish Grill, a Florida-based seafood restaurant that opened its first California location at the center. The restaurant moved into a newly constructed building off El Camino Real.

• Irvine Spectrum Center, No. 5, also added a structure to house a restaurant—Brio Tuscan Grille. The outdoor retail center had an estimated $400 million in taxable sales during the period. It added 10 tenants for a total of 150, including eateries such as Umami Burger, Kabuki and Casey’s Cupcakes.

Westfiled MainPlace

• Westfield MainPlace in Santa Ana, No. 10, made headlines in August when its owner, Australia-based Westfield Group, announced plans for a $50 million renovation that included redevelopment of the old Macy’s Men’s Home Furniture store.

The shift in leasing strategy began a year ago, bringing focus to “national retail brands, as well as new restaurant offerings,” according to mall General Manager Jonathan Maher.

“Customers are looking not to go just shopping but to make a day out of it with their families, with their friends, so restaurants play a big part of that,” he said. “Last year, we opened up a new area of the mall called Restaurant Row and added Johnny Rockets, Boudin SF, Saigon PHO and Genki Sushi.”

Westfield MainPlace had an estimated $235 million in taxable sales during the period. It currently has 200 tenants and plans to add 10 more by year-end, including Dog Haus, Blaze Pizza and Panini Grille.

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