South Coast Plaza’s Top Stores Get Awards for ’89 Performance

Louis Vuitton, the glitzy store that sells the company’s status-symbol handbags and luggage, won top honors Thursday evening among South Coast Plaza retailers for having the highest sales per square foot of any store in Orange County’s most successful shopping mall.

The award was presented at a ceremony at the Westin South Coast Plaza to reward outstanding performances in 1989 among the stores and restaurants at South Coast Plaza, the Crystal Court and South Coast Plaza Village. I. Magnin at South Coast Plaza was honored for having shown the highest increase in sales per square foot at a department store. Kenneth Jay Lane, which sells costume jewelry and other accessories, had the highest increase of sales for a specialty store.

Mall officials would not, however, say just how successful any of the honorees had been during the past year. No sales figures were released. But the annual awards, which were attended by an estimated 400 people, offer some indication as to who’s on top at the shopping complex that, according to the latest sales figures available, took in more than $624 million in 1988.

Charlotte Russe, a women’s apparel store, was cited for having the highest gross sales of a specialty store. Nordstrom had both the highest sales per square foot and the highest gross sales for a major store.

The winner for highest sales per square foot in the Crystal Court complex was the A Pea in the Pod maternity store, which has been so successful that it recently moved to a space double the size of its first one. That store was also named an outstanding merchant for the year.

Antonio Cagnolo of Antonello Ristorante was the restaurateur of the year at South Coast Plaza Village, and Janell Berte of Janell Berte Couture, was named the retailer of the year at that center, the smaller complex off the north side of Sunflower Avenue in Santa Ana. Other awards went to Nordstrom and Boehm for their activity in the community; to AnnTaylor. a working women’s apparel store, for greatest increase in dollar sales, and to Nordstrom and Tiffany & Co. for best customer service.

Stores and restaurants cited for having the highest sales totals per square foot in their product categories were AnnTaylor., Banana Republic, G.Hq. for Men, Capezio, Bally of Switzerland, William Ernest Brown, Scandia Down, Nathan Alan Jewelers, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Vie de France, Louis Vuitton and Crabtree & Evelyn.