The Return of Retail

Haute commercial centers are leading the charge in new openings

Courtesy of Related Companies

The pandemic unleashed a cutthroat culling of many brick-and-mortar stores, but it could not stymie consumers’ love of in-person shopping. Local openings prove that retail is not dead but evolving; the closure of many stores left room for fresh faces doing things differently. Ever a shopper’s paradise, Palm Beach has welcomed a slew of new retail amid the ongoing turbulence of the times. Best of all, each destination presents a year-round alfresco experience.

Rosemary Square—which has recently undergone a massive revitalization—boasts an unparalleled hunger for retail to accompany its inrush of new eateries. Shops opened in droves throughout the winter, positioning West Palm Beach as an emerging market for digitally native stores testing the brick-and-mortar waters.

In addition to recent ribbon-cuttings for Yeti and Lululemon, newly open storefronts at Rosemary Square include:

Faherty

• Family-owned Faherty, an apparel brand focused on high-quality, Earth-friendly goods. Their 2021 goal is for 85 percent of their products to be made from sustainable materials.

Nantucket Whaler, a lifestyle company with a focus on durable apparel with nautical touches. This pop-up location will remain open through April.

Exterior of Solid & Striped

• Another pop-up, Solid & Striped presents sun-soaked designer swimwear, apparel, and beachy accessories. Visit now through May 31.

Mint & Rose, a collection of Mediterranean-inspired shoes and bags for women, soulfully crafted by artisans in Spain.

Shoes at Mint & Rose

• Projected to open its doors March 4, Urban Outfitters will add its eccentric blend of clothing, home, lifestyle, and beauty products to the mix.

• A showroom for luxury electric car company Lucid Motors now anchors the district’s southeast entrance.

• A 10,622-square-foot West Elm will open summer 2021 between True Food Kitchen and LA Fitness along Rosemary Avenue, bringing Rosemary Square’s home-goods square footage to more than 100,000.

Necklace available at Yafa Signed Jewels

Nantucket Whaler, Solid & Striped, and Mint & Rose are brainchildren of Leap, a data-driven turnkey platform that develops, deploys, and operates retail stores for modern brands (typically internet-born, direct-to-consumer labels). Such companies’ transitions from online only to physical retail mark the embrace of an omnichannel approach, and clusters of such stores are popping up in major cities. West Palm Beach’s inclusion makes a statement about its future trajectory, while Leap’s plug-and-play model is further evidence of retail’s ability to thrive in the era of online shopping.

Still, Rosemary Square isn’t the only local hot spot with new stores. On Worth Avenue, Yafa Signed Jewels recently premiered a 2,000-square-foot retail location to house its collection of rare and vintage signed jewelry. At The Royal Poinciana Plaza, the December entrance of British fashion house Jimmy Choo marked the shopping center’s seventh new opening of the season.

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