No word yet on where the first One Thousand Steps shoe and accessory store from Anaheim-based Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. might be located.
Leases still are being squared away, said Gar Jackson, spokesman for Pacific Sunwear. At least one store is set to be in Orange County, he said.
About nine One Thousand Steps are expected to open the first half of 2006.
One analyst has high hopes for the stores.
“It’s a good concept, very well thought out, fills a void in the marketplace,” said Jeff Van Sinderen of B. Riley Co.
The company has a lot riding on One Thousand Steps as sales growth at its
dominant PacSun chain have slowed and its d.e.m.o. stores selling urban styles
are recovering from some fashion missteps.
American Apparel in Surf City
Los Angeles-based American Apparel Inc. has opened a store on Main Street in Huntington Beach and plans to open more in OC.
The company is looking to add six to 10 stores worldwide per month for a total of 1,000 by 2008. American Apparel now has about 100 stores around the world, with more than half in the U.S.
The company is known for its trendy T-shirts, provocative advertising and Chief Executive Dov Charney, who has a penchant for swearing and pushes free speech limits. Charney even appears partially naked in one of the company’s ads.
Black & Blue No More
Black & Blue, a men’s and women’s clothing and accessory boutique at The Lab in Costa Mesa, is changing its name to Harlow. The name change comes from new owner Kerri Harlow. She bought the store this past fall.
At Market Place
Peninsula Luggage, which sells brand name luggage, briefcases, attaches, computer cases and other travel accessories, opened recently at The Market Place in Tustin.
The shopping center, straddling Irvine and Tustin, also recently finished some upgrades, which included landscaping and traffic fixes.
The Market Place, with $505 million in yearly taxable sales, ranks No. 3 in the Business Journal’s list of the largest shopping centers. At 1.6 million square feet, The Market Place is The Irvine Company’s largest mall by square footage.
Segerstrom Honored
Henry Segerstrom, managing partner of Costa Mesa-based C.J. Segerstrom & Sons LLC, owner and manager of South Coast Plaza, won the Legacy Prix d’Honneur (or legacy prize of honor) for his contribution to the arts.
The award was part of the 24th annual Business in the Arts Awards given by the Orange County Business Committee for the Arts. Others given out included the First Time and Distinguished Achievement awards.
Sondra and Allyson Ames, owners of Wonderland Bakery in Newport Beach, won the First Time award. All winners received an etched crystal piece from Tiffany & Co.
New Coffee Boss
Call up Irvine-based Diedrich Coffee Inc. and ask for “Mr. Coffee” and you’ll get the boss. Stephen Coffey (pronounced coffee) was named chief executive last month, replacing Roger M. Laverty.
Coffey founded Coffey Management Co. in 1986. He recently was a senior executive of Chevys Inc., now part of Long Beach-based Real Mex Restaurants Inc.
Coffey also was the former chief executive of Edwards Theatres Inc., where he was brought on to restructure the Newport Beach company through bankruptcy. Edwards now is part of Regal Entertainment Group in Knoxville, Tenn.
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Crevier BMW in Santa Ana: expansion under way |
Luxury Upgrades Nearly Done
The luxury auto market is set to heat up this year with much of the local expansion winding down. Here’s a review:
Caliber Motors in Anaheim Hills is near completion on its new showroom on a five-acre site off the Riverside (91) Freeway about a mile away from its La Palma Avenue facility.
The showroom is designed to display more than 600 new and used vehicles. Plans also call for a car wash.
Caliber Motors is keeping its current building. The expansion is set to double the dealership’s space.
David Wilson’s new $65 million Newport Lexus is under way and should be done this year. It’s vying for customers with nearby Fletcher Jones Motorcars.
Fletcher Jones is set to wrap up a $20 million expansion that includes an off-site airport shuttle hub at Bristol and Birch streets, set to open before summer.
Airport shuttling is one of Fletcher Jones’ most popular services, according to the Mercedes-Benz dealer.
Crevier BMW in Santa Ana is steeped in showroom construction and should finish its second phase,a used car lot and parking,in April.
