Local auto dealers are expected to close out 2010 with a 12% rise in new auto registrations from 2009 to 107,890 vehicles.
Next year, sales for the county’s auto dealers are projected to rise nearly 11%, according to a recent report from the Newport Beach-based Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.
From January to September, new auto registrations—a barometer of sales—were up nearly 13%, beating the national increase of 2.4% for the same period.
Pent-up demand and drivers replacing aging vehicles have driven sales. But business still is off significantly from before the recession. In 2005, 194,498 autos were registered, nearly double the 108,000 expected to be sold this year.
Excessive household debt, a weak job market and lagging consumer confidence still are weighing on sales, according to the report.
Vehicles that boosted market share in the first nine months of the year: the Honda Accord and the Toyota Prius.
The Toyota Camry still is the best selling car in the county. The Accord is fast on its heels in second place.
The top five selling brands in OC: Toyota/Scion, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, BMW and Honda.
Holiday Shopping
The holiday shopping season is under way with what’s expected to be a stronger season than last year, according to most forecasts.
Expect to hear a lot of “Jingle Bells.” The New York-based International Council of Shopping Centers calls it the most popular mall song played during the holidays. This year’s most popular gift is the gift card, according to the council.
The Block
The Block at Orange is set to open a couple of outlet stores in early December: Perry Ellis Company Store and the Original Penguin Company Store. Both are owned and operated by Miami-based Perry Ellis International Inc.
The Perry Ellis store is the first in OC.
The store will sell men’s and women’s casual and dress clothing. It will be near The Children’s Place Outlet.
The Penguin store, opening near Café Tu Tu Tango, sells men’s casual and dress clothing, shoes and accessories.
The Block at Orange will open another outlet store in the spring. Tommy Hilfiger Company Store—also a local debut—will bring the number of outlet stores at the mall to nearly 100.
Thrill It Family Fun Center and Carter’s will open in the spring of next year at The Block.
In 2012, Seattle-based Nordstrom Inc. plans to open a 35,000-square-foot Nordstrom Rack at The Block. Nordstrom has three other Rack stores in the county at Laguna Hills Mall, Metro Pointe at South Coast in Costa Mesa and Union Plaza in Brea.
The Block at Orange has one more debut this holiday shopping season—Santa Claus. It will be the first Santa the mall has ever had. Santa will pose for photos throughout the holiday.
Openings
The Market Place, which straddles Irvine and Tustin, has a couple of new tenants: a nearly 50,000-square-foot 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport in Irvine and REI, an outdoor camping and sports equipment chain, on the Tustin side of the mall.
Two stores opened at Corona del Mar Plaza: Savory Spice Shop and Along Came a Spider.
The spice shop, which carries fresh and gourmet spices, is Savory Spice Shop Inc.’s first Southern California store. Founded in Denver in 2004, the chain is expanding via franchising.
Along Came a Spider is an upscale boutique for babies and children.
Jigsaw London, a British women’s clothing retailer, opened a 1,140-square-foot-store near Macy’s at Fashion Island.
Parent company Jigsaw Inc. has six stores in the U.S. and more than 40 stores in Britain.
Christmas Walk
Corona del Mar businesses and retailers will hold their 32nd Annual Christmas Walk on Sunday. The free event is expected to draw 6,000 people to Corona del Mar’s business district.
The event is put on by the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce. Corona del Mar’s business improvement district and the city of Newport Beach help sponsor the event.
Retailers in Corona del Mar include Westerly boutique, the new Summer House restaurant, Holly Sharp Signature Boutique and Hobie Surf Shops.
The walk helps support the Marine Corps Toys-For-Tots program.
