It’s been a horrible year for automobile sales, but it looks like the bad is getting a little better.
For most of the year, auto dealers have seen new auto registrations decline by at least 30% each month, compared to the same month a year earlier. But in October, new auto registrations, a barometer of sales, were down 10% to 7,879 in October compared to a year earlier, according to the Costa Mesa-based Orange County Automobile Dealers Association’s most recent report.
That’s a much smaller loss compared to May—the worst month of the year—when new auto registrations fell 49% compared to a year earlier.
In October, South Korean brands excelled—they were up 51% compared to a year earlier. And luxury brands in OC fared better than in most other areas.
Cadillac was up nearly 8% to 98 autos. The BMW Mini, which has held up well during the downturn, was up 34% to 123 autos.
Porsche was up 54% to 54 autos. In good times, Porsche sells about 90 autos a month in OC. Land Rover was up 40% to 43 autos.
Mercedes-Benz sales were down 5% in October compared to a year earlier to 610 autos.
BMW sales were down less than 1% to 448 autos, and Lexus was down 1.6% to 430 autos.
Kia boosted registrations 131% to 134 autos. Hyundai was up 33.5% to 351 autos.
Subaru also boosted its sales 40% to 109.
But not all brands fared so well.
Registrations for Chrysler were down 70% in October to 21 autos. General Motors was down 36% to 86 autos.
Of the domestic brands, Ford fared best, down 7% to 598 autos.
Of the two largest selling brands in OC, Toyota/Scion was down 27% to 1,578 autos, and Honda fared better, down 7% to 1,094.
Store Openings
Whole Foods will open at Bella Terra next fall, according to DJM Capital Partners Inc., owners of the mall. Whole Foods will take up the former 32,000-square-foot Circuit City space.
DJM, which bought the mall from J.H. Snyder Co. for $224 million in 2005, has had Whole Foods in mind since 2007, when the mall underwent a $270 million transformation into an Italian-themed, open-air center.
Anaheim GardenWalk has two new stores in the works: DW Pages Inc., a Corona-based bargain bookstore chain, and Bobby Chan LLC, a high-end men’s clothing shop.
DW Pages is expected to open in the latter half of 2010.
Ward Albright, owner of DW Pages, operates mostly temporary pop-up bookstores. In the past, he’s operated a temporary clearance store at Buena Park Downtown.
The company buys books from a number of sources including publishers’ returns and overstock.
His stores have been in high demand in the down economy because mall operators are having a tough time finding permanent tenants and national book chains aren’t expanding.
But the store at GardenWalk will be a permanent store, Albright said. He has a couple of other permanent stores, including one in Pismo Beach.
“I feel that the potential of that mall is absolutely wonderful,” he said.
Contrary to rumors, Dean & DeLuca still is opening at Fashion Island, according to Irvine Company and Dean & DeLuca’s chief executive.
Dean & DeLuca, a New York-based gourmet grocer, originally was slated to open this year. Now it’s scheduled to open in May.
Chief Executive Mark Daley has been posting updates on Twitter and Facebook regarding the status of the store.
Per an Oct. 26 Twitter post by Daley: “Head down working on a couple of projects, including the plans for our Fashion Island market.”
Daley’s Facebook on Nov. 6: “We plan to open our Fashion Island market in May ’10. You can see a rendering of it if you click on the photos tab and then go to the third page of Dean & DeLuca albums.”
Designer Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu boutique recently opened at South Coast Plaza. Miu Miu, part of Italy’s Prada SPA Group, is Prada’s line of clothing and accessories for younger women. Miu Miu has boutiques in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Singapore.
Michael Brandon, a men’s clothing store, recently opened at Irvine Spectrum Center.
The Los Angeles-based store sells its own brands of casual wear and suits.
Bits and Pieces
Irvine Company’s Irvine Retail Properties is promoting its malls and neighborhood centers online by posting discount coupons. Some of the coupons, valid through the end of December, offer discounts at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Active Ride, Lilikoi Boutique and The UPS Store. There are also dining discounts offered by Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Taco Rosa and others … Tustin Hummer’s annual Toys for Tots Caravan of about 100 Hummers will move out from Tustin Hummer into Camp Pendleton Saturday to deliver toys to children of military families.
