Friday, October 17, 2008

Louis Vuitton moves in at La Cumbre Plaza

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

In a display window at La Cumbre Plaza, 18 security cameras are aimed at one black purse.
For the causal shopper, this might not mean much. But for handbag enthusiasts, it’s a sure sign Louis Vuitton has moved into town.

The high-class fashion store opened its doors yesterday at the upper State Street mall, where it joined Tiffany & Co. and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse as the newest tenants.
Alice Love, senior marketing manager for La Cumbre Plaza, said the addition of Louis Vuitton is one more example of how the plaza provides a shopping experience that can’t be found anywhere on the South Coast.
“What we’re doing is concentrating on a compelling mix, which is first-to-market stores,” Love said, adding that first-to-market means stores like Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton can’t be found nearby.
But some have criticized the shopping center, now owned by Macerich, which owns 74 shopping centers across the country, for stockpiling La Cumbre Plaza with unaffordable, corporate chain stores.
Love said she doesn’t feel that’s the case, citing stores like J. Crew, Lucy, Coach and the Marmalade CafĂ© that have also joined the plaza since Macerich purchased it in 2004.
“I think that what we’re actually doing is bringing in new, first-to-market retailers to the community,” she said. “And as we do this we are really focused on making this a compelling mix of retailers.”
The Louis Vuitton store occupies a 2,500 square foot space with 14-foot ceilings and two story glass windows.
A statement from the company said the La Cumbre Plaza location is the 15th store in the region and 129th store in North America.
A construction effort at the plaza aimed at improving pedestrian walkways and providing a guest services center with family restrooms should be finished by the middle of next year, Rose said.
While nine stores new to Santa Barbara have moved in since Macerich took over, the mall remains anchored by longtime tenants Sears and Macy’s.
Women’s clothing store BCBG is expected to open next month, Love said.

1 comment:

Jen said...

We need small local businesses in Santa Barbara.. Anyone watch the stock market??