Now that Saks Fifth Avenue is staying at The Shops at Mission Viejo, it’s going to beef up and expand, said Andr & #233;e Corroon, spokeswoman for the New York-based luxury retailer.
Saks Inc. earlier decided to close the Mission Viejo store as part of a move in late in 2004 to drop eight of its least profitable department stores and three of its lower-price Off 5th stores.
But after looking at the Orange County market, the company decided the store could hit Saks’ profitability standards.
Children’s, contemporary fashion, jewelry, handbags and eveningwear are the strongest areas and are set for expansion, Corroon said.
The store also plans to add a men’s clothing section, she said.
There’s no remodeling of 107,000-square-foot store planned, Corroon said.
“The store is beautiful and in great condition,” she said.
Elsehwere at The Shops, teahouse Teavana is opening. Teavana’s Atlanta-based parent boasts more than 100 kinds of tea. Teavana is moving into the Sanrio store, which plans to close at The Shops for good on June 30.
Tween Scene at Brea Mall
Pop Star Girls is joining the clique of tween stores that have opened in the past few years in OC, including Justice For Girls, Aeropostale and Hollister.
Pop Star plans to open in August at Brea Mall. Aeropostale, which recently opened at Irvine Spectrum Center, is opening another store early summer at Brea Mall.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory also is set to open in the summer at Brea Mall and is opening soon at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach.
Wolford Makeover
At South Coast Plaza, hosiery and lingerie shop Wolford is set to get a makeover, according to Women’s Wear Daily. The Austrian retailer recently opened its Los Angeles boutique with a new redesign. The South Coast store is up next.
Surfing London
Surfwear maker Quiksilver Inc. of Huntington Beach has opened a store on London’s Regent Street. It’s Quiksilver’s third flagship store, after one in Times Square and another in Paris.
Yorba Linda Showroom
Fullerton’s Furniture Homestores of Southern California Inc., the local licensee of Wisconsin’s Ashley Furniture HomeStores, has signed a lease at Savi Tech Center in Yorba Linda. The 61,541-square-foot space is being redeveloped into a furniture showroom.
Megadealers
Three Orange County dealer groups made Ward Auto’s 100 megadealer list: David Wilson’s Automotive Group in Orange, Tuttle-Click Automotive Group in Irvine and Piercey Automotive Group in Westminster.
Wilson Automotive Group had $1.5 billion in sales last year, including $1 billion in new car sales and $308.8 million in used car sales. Service made up the rest.
Wilson owns 14 dealerships, including Toyota of Orange, Tustin Lexus and Toyota of Huntington Beach. A swanky Lexus dealership is under way in Newport Beach.
Tuttle-Click, which wasn’t on the list last year, posted $761.5 million in 2005 sales, including $467.5 million in new car sales and $171.5 million in used car sales. Tuttle-Click counts 15 dealerships, including in Tustin and Irvine.
Piercey Automotive has five dealerships, including Honda World in Westminster, its only OC dealership. Piercey sells Cadillacs and Toyotas outside the county. Piercey had $521 million in sales last year, $353 in new car sales and $96.5 million in used car sales.
Fletcher Jones Automotive Group, parent of Fletcher Jones Motor Cars in Newport Beach, also made the list. The group is based in Las Vegas, with the Newport dealership accounting for a third of its $1.5 billion in 2005 revenue.
Topping the list is Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based AutoNation Inc. with $19.2 billion in 2005 sales. AutoNation’s OC dealerships include Power Toyota Irvine and House of Imports in Buena Park.
Acura Accolade
DCH Tustin Acura marked its 20th year in business with an award from its automaker,the Precision Team Dealership of distinction. Honda Motor Co.’s Acura bestows the honor on the top 15% of Acura dealerships in the nation. DCH Tustin Acura was one of 48 dealers to be awarded.
