Macy's Eyes Orange Co.
Macy’s has set its sights on Orange County, Calif., with $100 million planned in upgrades to its area stores as well as retail expansion.
“The timing was right,” said Rina Neiman, a spokesperson for San Francisco-based Macy’s West. “Orange County and all of California are growing so fast; we’re trying to keep up with the opportunities.”
One of the opportunities for change was at Macy’s Southern California flagship store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Its $40 million overhaul includes a new outdoor bridge between the men’s and women’s stores and moving the Macy’s Woman (plus-size clothing) section back into the store from the mall. The bridge should open by May, with the entire remodel completed in November, Neiman said.
The store at the Shops at Mission Viejo is in the midst of a two-year, $27 million renovation and expansion. The 137,000-square-foot unit will add on about 60,000 square feet with bigger juniors’ and women’s ready-to-wear departments. The merchandise is also getting a lift with the addition of contemporary labels Laundry and BCBG Max Azria and junior brands Rampage and XOXO.
Macy’s is also building a brand new Orange County store at Westminster Mall. The $30 million, 175,000-square-foot project should be completed by Fall 2002.
Elsewhere in California, the company is currently building a 165,000-square-foot store in Temecula at the Promenade in Temecula, set to open in October. In Northern California, Macy’s is debuting a 101,000-square-foot unit at the Capitola Mall on May 3, the second of its small-market-strategy stores. The venture is part of the company’s two-year effort to expand into rural areas, with the first store opening in Redding’s Mt. Shasta Mall last summer. As of now, there aren’t any plans to open more of these smaller stores, Neiman said. —N.S.-M.
