Thanks, South Coast Plaza.
Costa Mesa has the highest retail sales per person in Orange County, according to a report for the city by Diamond Bar’s HdL Cos.
Led by South Coast Plaza, the city’s retailers generate $8,000 to $10,000 a quarter for each person living in Costa Mesa. The city has about 105,000 residents.
The report tracked 13 quarters through September. It looked at sales tax from all businesses, with stores and auto dealers making up the bulk of taxable sales.
Costa Mesa sees $4.7 billion in yearly retail sales. The city’s annual sales tax cut of that is $47 million.
Newport Beach is second to Costa Mesa in retail sales per person, according to the report. The city generates $6,000 to $7,000 in quarterly retail sales per resident, depending on the quarter. Thanks, Fashion Island.
After that are Irvine and Tustin, which are neck in neck at about $6,000 in quarterly retail sales per resident.
Anaheim, Huntington Beach and Santa Ana, the county’s biggest cities by people, are next with $3,000 to $4,000 in quarterly retail sales per person.
South Coast Plaza generates a quarter to nearly 40% of Costa Mesa’s retail sales, depending on the quarter, according to the report.
Fashion Island is about a quarter of Newport Beach’s retail sales. The next biggest malls by retail sales are Brea Mall, Shops at Mission Viejo, Westminster Mall and Irvine Spectrum Center.
Costa Mesa gets about 20% of retail sales from auto dealerships. That’s just a hair above the per capita number for Irvine, followed by Tustin, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Westminster and Newport Beach (thanks, Fletcher Jones Motorcars).
For the 13 quarters through September, Irvine held a big auto sales lead but dipped in early 2005.
That’s when Costa Mesa caught up. Nearly half of the top 25 retailers in Costa Mesa are auto dealers.
They include: Connell Chevrolet, Connell Nissan, Costa Mesa Infiniti, Costa Mesa Mitsubishi, Costa Mesa Pontiac GMC Buick, Ferrari of Orange County, Orange Coast AMC Jeep, Orange Coast Dodge, South Coast Acura, South Coast Toyota and Theodore Robins Ford.
Other big retailers make up the rest of Costa Mesa’s retail sales, including Ikea, Home Depot and Ganahl Lumber.
Fletcher Expansion
Fletcher Jones Motorcars’ off-site airport shuttle hub breaks ground this month.
The hub, designed to ease traffic at the Newport Beach Mercedes dealership, is for customers who want a ride to or from the airport and a safe place to leave their car. The shuttle service is one of Fletcher Jones’ most popular services. It’s free.
Newport Beach architect Bauer & Wiley; is designing the 700-square-foot, minimalist-cubist building.
A 9-foot by 6-foot metal Mercedes-Benz logo sculpture is set to adorn the facility.
Inside, plans call for a coffee bar, luggage areas and wireless Internet access.
Car Happy
Tustin-based AutoPacific Inc. came out with its 2006 vehicle customer satisfaction study, naming Cadillac as the top rated luxury brand.
The automotive consultant named the Lexus LS430 the top overall luxury car. As a brand, Lexus rated just below Cadillac.
AutoPacific’s study rates nearly every car and light truck based on customer satisfaction in 45 different areas related to operation, comfort, safety and purchase or lease experience.
The top “mainstream” vehicle was Honda with happy owners of the Ridgeline truck and the Odyssey minivan. Hyundai came in second. Hyundai’s Azera won best overall car.
In rating market segments, sport utility vehicle owners were more satisfied than car, pickup or minivan owners.
Marblehead Outlet Mall
Craig Realty Group, a developer of upscale outlet malls, is moving ahead with plans for about 600,000 square feet of outlet stores for the 51-acre Marblehead site in San Clemente.
Newport Beach-based Craig Realty just closed escrow on the ocean-view site, where a hotel and conference center, movie theaters, bookstore and several restaurants also are planned.
There’s been a lot of interest from retailers, said Anita Boeker, marketing director for Craig Realty.
The outlet mall is expected to open in late 2008, she said.
Residents are ready, according to Boeker.
“People who live in San Clemente pretty much have to leave to do any shopping,” she said.
