There’s a new dealer group in Orange County.
Dallas-based Park Place Dealerships bought Lexus of Mission Viejo from Bayshore Motor Group II LLC for an undisclosed price.
The dealership now is called Park Place Lexus Mission Viejo.
Chris Brunner, the former general manager of Park Place Lexus Grapevine, is the new general manager of Park Place Lexus.
Park Place Dealerships, founded in 1987, has nine dealerships and sells 12 high-end brands, including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Maserati and Bentley, in the Dallas area and in California.
The company had an estimated $387 million in revenue in 2005 and about 420 workers. Kenneth Schnitzer is chief executive.
Suzuki Shift
Brea-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. is looking to boost its dealer sales by strengthening its regional leadership. It added Gary Van Houten as Western regional general manager and John Frantz as Central regional general manager. The company’s sales were up 23% in 2006 to 100,990 vehicles, compared to 2005.
Suzuki sales could certainly use a boost in OC, where its sales are in line with Buick, Mercury, Kia and Saab. In other words, sales are low. Year-to-date registrations, a barometer of sales, through August were down 25% to 411, according to the Costa Mesa-based Orange County Automobile Dealers Association’s monthly auto report.
Refreshing PacSun
Anaheim-based Pacific Sunwear of California Inc.’s PacSun stores are getting a “refresh,” including about 16 in Southern California.
The company plans to update 50 of its stores this year and 75 in 2008, according to spokesman Gar Jackson. The stores sell clothing inspired by surfing and skateboard, much of it from local designers.
Some of the changes include new lighting, better sound and improved T-shirt and shoe displays.
The refreshed stores can be seen at Irvine Spectrum Center and the Brea Mall.
Pets Checking In
Petsmart Inc. opened a 28,000-square-foot store on the Tustin side of The Market Place. But it includes a little something extra,a 6,000-square-foot PetsHotel, which will open by the end of the year. This is Petsmart’s third PetsHotel in OC.
The overnight stay for guest dogs will include doggie exercise and socializing in the playroom, poochie cots with lambskin blankets, pet shows on television and treats such as dog-safe ice cream. There’s even a dog “bonebooth,” where your dog can receive your phone calls. Cats can stay too in custom kitty cottages.
“If you didn’t want to go out of town, you’d stay here too,” boasts a PetsHotel video.
Revamped MainPlace
Nordstrom’s MainPlace store recently completed its remodel. The revamp, which took place while the store was open, includes new carpet, updated restrooms and dressing rooms and new furniture, display tables and lighting. The Cafe and Espresso Bar also was redone.
The store added a sunglass shop with designer sunglasses, and expanded its cosmetic cases to include additional lines such as Bare Escentuals and Trish McEvoy. Handbags and women’s shoes also expanded. Nordstrom is set to add four new exclusive lines.
Price Cuts at Nordstrom
If you head to Nordstrom any time soon, you may notice price cuts.
The company, with weaker than expected sales last month,warm weather has been blamed,has cut prices to get rid of inventory.
Other retailers are following suit. The trend is notable because Nordstrom, up until last month, has managed to stay ahead of the pack. The economy may be beginning to put a damper on retail.
Now retail analysts are forecasting a Scrooge-like, or at least a frugal, holiday season.
According to Port Washington, New York-based The NPD Group Inc.’s annual survey of consumers’ holiday purchase intentions, shoppers will head out to the malls later this year. About 41% said they were waiting until after Thanksgiving. Shoppers also said they’d control their impulse buying.
Satisfied Customers
J.D. Power and Associates named Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom as the leaders in customer satisfaction among upscale department stores. Macy’s, JCPenney and Kohl’s led the midsized department stores. This is a new study by the Westlake Village marketing information company, a unit of McGraw-Hill Cos.
Here are some of the findings:
– Nearly 45% of the shoppers at upscale stores said they would use a designer reusable shopping bag. The report pointed to those 40 years and younger as more willing to bring a reusable bag when shopping. About 30% of people who shop at stores such as Macy’s said they’d use a reusable bag.
– Customers don’t like to wait more than four minutes. But customers in Southern California were likely to wait longer than those in New York or Atlanta, the three areas tapped for this report.
– Women spend more on clothing. Maybe that didn’t need to be said, but overall, 27% of women spend $2,500 annually on clothing versus 22% of men.
