In 1965 when owner/developer Stanley Whitman opened the first exclusive high-fashion shopping center, on what had been the site of a World War II army barracks, retail experts scoffed at Bal Harbour Shops upscale store mix. At that time the norm was to mix essential service tenants such as grocery and hardware stores with retail. And with the advent of air conditioning sweeping the nation, enormous enclosed malls were being built at breakneck speed. Bucking this popular trend in shopping center development, Bal Harbour Shops was designed to celebrate the balmy beauty of South Florida. Ideally situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay in the affluent village of Bal Harbour, the lushly landscaped, open-air mall didn't look or feel like any other center in America.
From the beginning Bal Harbour Shops was successful largely due to Whitman's determination in convincing Neiman Marcus to open their first specialty department store outside its native Texas and in luring designer boutiques that previously could only be found along the Champs-Elysee in Paris or New York's Fifth Avenue.
The coveted collection of stores Whitman assembled was unparalleled and quickly became the industry benchmark, generating the highest yearly sales in the nation. Bal Harbour Shops was the first mall location for many famed merchants, such as Gucci, Cartier and Bulgari. Louis Vuitton, Prada, Sergio Rossi, Dolce and Gabbana, and Roberto Cavalli chose Bal Harbour as the site for their first ventures outside New York. This "Shopping Hall of Fame" houses 100 world-class boutiques and flagship stores.
By today's mega mall size, Bal Harbour Shops 500,000 square foot al fresco shopping experience seems refreshingly intimate, though its economic impact rivals the super regionals. Bal Harbour ranked the number one most productive shopping center in the U.S., based on average sales per square foot, according to Women's Wear Daily. The shops achieved sales of $1,350 per square foot, more than three times the national average of $340. Only the Forum Shops in Las Vegas even comes close at #2 and Ala Moana Shopping center in Honolulu ranks #3 in the nation. |
