Stores have familiar ring

EAST COUNTY — Three stores known to the Sarasota/Bradenton market confirmed they will open stores in The Mall at University Town Center, now under construction at the southeast corner of University Parkway and Cattlemen Road.

All of the stores — Lilly Pulitzer, White House | Black Market and Martini Import Shoes — already have locations in St. Armands Circle.

Each of the companies will keep their St. Armands’ stores open.

The additional stores to open in the $315 million Mall at UTC, set to open Oct. 16, represent an expansion for the companies, which also all have locations outside the Sarasota/Bradenton market.

“The market is expanding and the potential customers who would shop at the Mall (at UTC) fits the lifestyle of the products we sell,” said Candice Henry, a sales associate with Lilly Pulitzer, which started in Palm Beach but is now based in Pennsylvania. “We also already have a very strong local, multi-generational customer base who would support another store location.”

Lilly Pulitzer sells women’s dresses, tunics, resort wear, accessories and footwear.

White House | Black Market, a subsidiary of Chico’s, targets women 25 years old and older, with sleek lines and garmets mostly colored white and black.

John Eggert, Taubman’s development director for the Mall at UTC, would not comment on specific lease signings or discussions, but he talked about a larger strategy to both complement and compete with nearby shopping centers.

“We can’t comment on the details of lease discussions, but at the end of the day, retailers decide where they want to go,” Eggert said. “There’s always competition in the market, which is good for everybody, because it gives customers choices. The fact we are an indoor, enclosed mall differentiates us from St. Armands and other competition. We are creating a little bit of a powerhouse in the area as a whole.”

Eggert also said Taubman seeks to secure existing businesses in the area as tenants. Taubman has said 50% of the mall’s tenants will be new to the market. 

“The awareness of those businesses that are already there, in any given metropolis, is important,” Eggert said. “To open a center with 100% stores new to the market would be a herculean task.”

Confirmed tenants include: The Cheesecake Factory, The Capital Grille, Kona Grill, Brio Tuscan Grille, Seasons 52 and Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Smoothie King and American Eagle Outfitters.

Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].