LoveSac is set to take up permanent residence in June at Irvine Spectrum Center.
The store sells oversized beanbags,as large as six feet,that go for about $135.
LoveSac has had a temporary store at the Irvine Spectrum, trying to earn its way into a permanent spot, said Jerusha Porter, district manager for QBSac, a Vista-based company that franchises nine California stores from Salt Lake City-based LoveSac Corp.
There’s another LoveSac at Corona del Mar Plaza.
The Irvine store is set to reopen across from Barnes & Noble.
Getting a permanent store isn’t always easy for a new chain, according to Porter. LoveSac opened its first store in Salt Lake City in 2001.
Stores have to reach a certain profit per square foot, she said. They also have to meet other criteria before becoming permanent.
There’s a lot of behind the scenes politics in some malls, according to Porter, though she said that’s not necessarily the case in Irvine.
The best part about being permanent: “You don’t ever have to move again,” she said.
LoveSac could have been booted from its temporary digs if a more established retailer wanted the space, according to Porter. In other shopping centers, LoveSac has moved six or seven times, she said.
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LoveSac founder on ‘Rebel Billionaire’: local franchise getting home at Irvine Spectrum |
Now, LoveSac can fall back in its beanbags and relax.
An interesting note about LoveSac: Chief Executive Shawn Nelson won $1 million on Fox’s reality show “The Rebel Billionaire,” starring Richard Branson.
The show ended in January. In the finale, Branson chose Nelson over Sarah Blakely, whose company Spanx Inc. makes footless pantyhose. Nelson, the under 30, spiky haired executive, is known for his over-the-top marketing.
May the Force Be With You
Fashion Island shoppers near the Big Newport cinema may have seen something they’re not used to: Star Wars fanatics camped outside the theater, awaiting the opening of the movie last week. The campers were members of the Orange County Star Wars Society. The group already had their tickets. They simply were abiding tradition.
In other Fashion Island news, the shopping center is getting set to detail its summer concert series, which begins July 13 and is held for the next six Wednesdays at the Bloomingdale’s courtyard. Word is the popular Latin jazz musician Poncho Sanchez once again will be playing, this time on Aug. 17, according to his Web site.
Club Rate
Massage Envy, a new 3,400-square-foot store in Costa Mesa, has an interesting concept: membership. For $59 a month, members get a one-hour massage and get a $20 discount on future massages and other deals. The store offers massages for $60 for nonmembers. Jodi Wolf and Carol Warren of Laguna Niguel are the owners of the franchise. Massage Envy LLC is based in Scottsdale.
Car Talk
Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book’s Web site recently ranked No. 1 in customer usage by San Mateo-based Keynote Systems Inc.
The report said two-thirds of those surveyed used kbb.com. Keynote Systems evaluated 10 automotive Internet sites, including Irvine-based Autobytel Inc.’s.
Megadealers
Two Orange County dealers made Wards Auto’s 100 megadealers list: David Wilson Automotive Group of Orange, which ranked No. 17, and Piercey Automotive Group in Westminster, which came in at No. 67.
Wilson Automotive has 12 dealerships and five franchises, according to the list. Wilson’s 2004 revenue of $1.3 billion included $893 million in new car sales and $214 million in used cars.
David Wilson’s dealerships in OC include Toyota of Orange, with about $204.8 million in sales, and Tustin Lexus, with $156.6 million in sales. Wilson has another Lexus dealership planned for Newport Beach.
Piercey has five dealerships and five franchises, including Honda World in Westminster, its only OC dealership. It also sells Cadillacs and Toyotas outside the county.
Piercey’s total revenue was $478 million, including $276 million in new car sales and $56 million in used auto sales.
Fletcher Jones Management Group also made the list at No. 14. The megadealer is based in Las Vegas but is closely identified with OC because of Fletcher Jones Motorcars in Newport Beach. In all, Fletcher has 16 dealerships and 12 franchises and $864 million in new auto sales last year.
AutoNation Inc. topped the list with 355 franchises and 278 dealerships. It had $19 billion in revenue last year.
