Orange County Business Journal features South Coast Plaza’s new stores and holiday decor.
by Emily Santiago-Molina | Orange County Business Journal
November 28, 2022
South Coast Plaza is ringing in the holiday shopping season with a roster of new high-end additions ranging from a Louis Vuitton-branded Christmas tree to luxury library accessories.
The additions are part of the shopping center’s strategy to stay top of mind in the wake of Black Friday and heading into 2023, fresh off a new sales volume record.
South Coast Plaza saw a record $2.4 billion in annual sales during the 12 months ending June 30, coming in at No. 1 on the Business Journal’s list of largest shopping centers in Orange County. The Costa Mesa center, which made up 25% of the list’s total revenue, counts north of 280 storefronts and restaurants, with 30 stores added in the past year.
This year featured relocations for many of its high-end brands or remodels of the original stores, including Coach and Hugo Boss.
The shopping center still has vacancies yet to be filled, including the long-awaited revamp of the former Sears anchor store.
Brands are adding to their footprint through pop-ups, exhibits and second storefronts—both Louis Vuitton and Gucci opened additional locations within South Coast’s corridors this year.
Restaurants are also playing a role in new, high-end offerings; the Petrossian at Tiffany, a dine-in restaurant with a French-influenced menu from caviar to beef tartare, opened in March within Tiffany & Co.’s location.
The center, which sports about 2.8 million gross leasable square feet, pulls regional shoppers from a radius topping 100 miles, as well as international interest from the Middle East and Mexico City, according to Debra Gunn Downing, executive director of marketing for the mall.
