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AMC is going urban in a big way throughout Florida, with new complexes underway in downtown St. Petersburg to downtown Fort Lauderdale and Naples, and expansions in Brandon (Regency Square), Coconut Grove (CocoWalk) and Coral Gables (The Bakery Centre). "Our business plan is dramatically different than it ever was," says Frank Stryjewski, vice president of Southeast operations. "We used to chase the rooftops and go into attractive neighborhoods. But the business has changed."

Today, the smallest theater complex AMC will build, 50,000 square feet, has a minimum of 14 screens. It prefers sites which can handle its mega-movie concept, 83,000 square feet and 24 screens. "We're going to actively finish Southwest Florida," Stryjewski says. "On the East Coast, we're strong up to Boca. What we need to do is finish off Boca to Daytona."

If there's an attractive retail opportunity available in Florida, whether new construction or existing space, Family Dollar Stores wants a look at it. "We'll take as many good sites as we can find," says Geoff Smith, regional real estate manager for the East Coast of Florida and Georgia. "There's no specific goal and no limit within reason." The company has 2,300 stores nationwide and 123 in Florida alone, primarily in low- to middle-income areas. Smith, who characterizes the company's growth plans as "aggressive," says that he is looking for sites in Orlando, Palm Beach, Broward and Dade. (Bill Miller is responsible for the West Coast; Tom Hall, the Panhandle.) Ideal size is 7,000 square feet, either free-standing with 35 parking spaces or in a strip center.

Florida is the biggest market for Sears, Roebuck's Homelife Furniture Stores and the company plans to keep it that way by opening two new stores this fall (Cutler Ridge and Naples) and another early next year (Daytona). Of the chain's 100 stores, 17 are in Florida. Approximately half the Homelife stores are in freestanding or strip center locations apart from Sears stores and this is the direction the chain will take in the future. According to public affairs manager Bob McHenry, new stores will average about 30,000 square feet. Details are sketchy about how expansion further will impact Florida in 1995, but as McHenry notes, "we have aggressive plans." (Barry Kaufman is division vice president of real estate.)

Natural Wonders plans to open 20 new stores in 1994, boosting its chain to 143 units. At least two of those stores (average size: 2,400 square feet) have opened in Florida, in Pembroke Lakes and Tyrone Square, but a spokesperson couldn't say whether more stores were on the company's list for '94, and no list for '95 has been released. The mall-based specialty retailer of nature, science and environmental merchandise has its highest concentration in California 28 stores with just seven in Florida.

The good news is that Neiman-Marcus will grow by at least four locations in the next three years. The bad news is that none of the locations Short Hills, N.J. (1995), King of Prussia, Pa. (1996), Paramus, N.J. (1996) and Ala Moana, Hawaii (TBA) is in Florida. But corporate relations director Joanne Parker says things could change. "We're still looking," she says of the 27-store, high-end specialty chain. "But you need a certain demographic population to support a store of our size (130,000-140,000 square feet). We're not interested in building smaller stores. You need a higher population within certain income ranges. Beyond that, we look at what other competitors are in the area and where else we have stores. The usual." The possible advantage for salivating developers in Southwest and Central Florida may be that Neiman-Marcus does have two stores already in Florida, in Bal Harbour and Fort Lauderdale.

Meanwhile, Contempo Casuals, a member of the Neiman-Marcus Group (which also includes Bergdorf-Goodman), is retrenching. "We're in the process of closing up to 50 of the 290 stores," Parker says. As of July 1993 there were 29 Contempo Casuals in Florida; Parker could not confirm which if any might close here. The junior women's apparel chain caters to 18- to 25-year-olds with "fashion-forward," trendy designs.

"We are going to open 70 new stores this year; 20 are already open," says Gary Schweikhart, director of public relations for Office Depot. "I would not be surprised to see more in Florida." The company currently operates 57 stores in the Sunshine State, averaging 25,000-30,000 square feet. "We're in all the major markets; now we're hitting all the smaller markets," Schweikhart says. Stores are primarily found in strip malls and stand-alone situation; Office Depot looks for high-traffic locations close to small businesses. The opening of a second Florida delivery center, in Orlando, is intended to serve stores in North Florida and might indicate further expansion in the top half of the state. (John Grode is vice president of real estate.)

Spiegel, one of the most recognizable names in catalog shopping plans to increase its visibility in outlet malls. "Our strategy is to go into manufacturers' outlet malls and develop 30,000-square-foot stores," says media relations manager Ann Morris. "We have 10 stores right now. We're opening four stores this fall and we'll open more next year." Although the company has been quite happy with its Sawgrass Mills store in South Florida, Spiegel plans to move away from behemoth Mills stores and into outlets in the immediate future. The outlet stores are being viewed less and less as liquidation operations than retail operations offering brand merchandise (men's, women's and children's clothes; bed & bath) at reduced prices. (Terry Pieniazek is Spiegel's real estate manager.)

A new Florida warehouse now under construction should over a clue that there are more Toys 'R' Us and Kids 'R' Us in the pipeline for Florida. "We will probably add four-plus Toys stores in Florida in '94-'95," says Michael P. Miller, senior vice president of real estate. The company is also playing catch-up, trying to match its newer Kids (15,000 square feet) with existing Toys (30,000-45,000 square feet) stores. There are currently 35 Toys 'R' Us store in Florida.

"Everybody serving our type of business knows what we're about," says Winn-Dixie spokesman Mickey Clerc, but he's still willing to fill in late arrivals. "We've got 450 stores in the state. We're in a constant state of closing, opening and enlarging stores. We're currently opening stores in the 35,000-50,000-square-foot range."

Winn-Dixie is strictly serviced by shopping center developers; it does not develop its own real estate. Real estate managers in each of five offices Tampa, Pompano Beach, Orlando, Jacksonville (division, not corporate) and Montgomery, Alabama (for the North Gulf Coast) are responsible for considering deals in their regions. Inquiries should not be directed to corporate headquarters.

Although Winn-Dixie already blankets the state, its upgrade and "Marketplace" stores do create some opportunities. "We're not in every location we'd like to be in," Clerc hints. But developers have to make the numbers work for a lease operation. "We're not interested unless it's a prime supermarket location."

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