Retail Adventures

High-end boutiques. big boxes. Grocery-anchored shopping centers. The region's growth and wealth have caught the attention of international retailers and entrepreneurs. We asked: How has retailing changed in Southwest Florida, and what are the best and worst things about doing business here?

Glen Harrell, general manager, Waterside Shops at Pelican Bay, which turns 10 years old this month: A lot of us were pioneers 10 years ago. Waterside was fortunate to be located between The Registry Resort and The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. Convention guests and affluent residents with second homes have made our center tremendously successful. Sales at Ann Taylor, Talbots, Silver Spoon, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barnes & Noble are in the top tier of their companies.

The worst thing has been the inability to bring in new tenants and to grow. National and international retailers looking at Naples haven’t seen opportunities here. That's changing. I would love to see another regional mall. We already have the cream-of-the-crop and we are going upscale (which will separate us from a new mall) as leases expire over the next 24 months. I expect the next 10 years to be even better.

Christine Lapidus, owner, Learning Express, a specialty toy store: Retailing in Fort Myers is difficult for two reasons. There's the seasonality. But Fort Myers is so spread out. If it's not located right around the corner, it becomes a chore. People say, "You seem like you're so far away," but once they get there, they ask, "Why didn't I come sooner?"That's why customer service is important. We do events such as story time and arts and crafts, and we have a frequent shopper card, personalize gifts and offer free gift-wrapping.

Dougall McCorkle, director of commercial development for The Lutgert Cos., which owns The Promenade at Bonita Bay and Village on Venetian Bay: This is one of the few places with a range of retail-high-end chains, high-end specialty stores and big boxes-and at the same time sophisticated, locally operated specialty stores. You'd have to go to a major metro area to find the diversity we have.

Gayle Gordon Nering, owner, And So to Bed on Third Street: Customers are more discriminating. There's not as much excess buying; people are looking for quality. The worst thing is the seasonality. But the season has gotten a little longer, and I've noticed that my sales this summer are way up from last year.