Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Shoppers, take your mark

Bargain hunters are making their lists and checking them twice for the holiday that starts Saturday - the sales tax holiday, that is.

By SHARON FINK
Published July 21, 2005

[Times photo: Melissa Lyttle]

International Plaza is shopping heaven, down to its look: big, white and full of light.

	[Times photo: 2004)
	You’ll find much more interesting clothes at La France, Ybor’s venerable vintage store.
	Tallying up what's tax-free Florida's sales tax holiday runs from Saturday through July 31. Sales tax will not be charged on many clothes, shoes and accessories costing $50 or less, books costing $50 or less and many school supplies costing $10 or less.

In two days, another holiday season will be upon us, meaning more travel hassles, more family arguments and more unrelenting pressure to buy the perfect things for everyone.

Not even a special occasion created just for shopping can be celebrated simply.

The state's nine-day sales tax holiday begins Saturday (and that means 12:01 a.m. Saturday, for you patrons of 24-hour shopping establishments). Through July 31, sales tax won't be charged on a lot of clothes, accessories, books and back-to-school supplies.

The occasion was created ostensibly to help Floridians save a few dollars on back-to-school shopping. But it really is an all-inclusive celebration of consumerism; among the things exempt from sales tax this year are maternity clothes, fishing vests, pajamas and diapers.

But it's not a free-for-all. Exempt from the tax are only certain clothes, accessories and books costing $50 or less and school supplies costing $10 or less (see the accompanying list).

To help you find the best places to spend the holiday (and your money), we've rounded up the Tampa Bay area's major (and some of the minor) shopping destinations and best off-price stores, and a selection of local boutiques.

We tell you what to expect from them. And what not to expect. Why SuperTarget is better than nonsuper Target. And why one should always appreciate a well-organized T.J. Maxx.

And to get you into the true spirit of the holiday season, we leave you with these words: Always check the sales racks.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

INTERNATIONAL PLAZA, West Shore and Boy Scout boulevards; www.shopinternationalplaza.com

It's shopping heaven: big, white and full of light.

Most people will get a jolt of reality when they see the price tags at Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Furla and Hugo Boss. But plenty can be found here for more down-to-earth incomes.

It has the area's only Nordstrom, which conveniently has one of its big anniversary sales coinciding with the tax holiday.

The mall's newest store is overpriced tropical lifestyle outfitter Tommy Bahama, which opened June 29. Scheduled to open at the end of July is a Banana Republic just for women and petites, with a full shoe department and a special handbag selection.

MALL DIVERSIONS: Plenty of comfortable chairs, a huge kids play area, a food court and a restaurant row to suit all tastes and pocketbooks.

WESTSHORE PLAZA, West Shore and Kennedy boulevards; www.westshoreplaza.com

Tampa's old reliable mall, homey and comfortable, has the bay area's only Saks Fifth Avenue, but it caters mostly to the mainstream.

Its other anchor stores are Sears, JCPenney and Burdines-now-Macy's (where the most noticeable difference between the regimes is a better-organized juniors department).

A Tampa boutique has broadened its customer base by placing a branch in the mall. DKM II is a spinoff of DKM Accessories (3102 Palmira Ave., off S MacDill Avenue). It's heavy on fun, message-bearing T-shirts (our favorite: "I know I'm in my own little world, but it's OK, they know me here").

MALL DIVERSIONS: Lots of food and drink, a kids play area and a multiscreen movie theater on the upper level.

UNIVERSITY MALL, 2200 E Fowler Ave.; www.universitymalltampa.com

The fortunes of this mall, near the University of South Florida, have ebbed and flowed since it opened in 1978, and it recently took a big hit when anchor JCPenney announced it was leaving to be part of one of two malls being built in Wesley Chapel. JCPenney plans to open what it's calling a lifestyle center store at the Shops at Wiregrass on Oct. 7.

Macy's, Sears and Dillard's will be left once Penney leaves, but even now, the anchor stores aren't what gives the mall its identity. Seeking trendy, inexpensive clothes for teens? This is your place. They can be found in stores throughout the mall.

University also has our choice for best store that teenagers love and adults view with fright: Hot Topic, with its black decor and goth-punk-metal-alternative rock merchandise, including lots of band and movie T-shirts.

Other Hot Topics are at Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg, Westfield Countryside in Clearwater and Gulf View Square in Port Richey.

MALL DIVERSIONS: Food court and movie theaters.

WESTFIELD CITRUS PARK, Citrus Park Drive, west of Veterans Expressway off Exit 9 Gunn Highway; www.westfield.com/citruspark

With all the basics easy to find in one well-designed place, this is the mall for people who hate to shop. The anchors are Macy's, JCPenney, Dillard's and Sears; a notable offering is one of only two bay area Eddie Bauer stores.

The mall forms a little shopping pod on its stretch of Citrus Park Drive with the Plaza at Citrus Park. That strip mall includes a good Ross Dress for Less, Men's Wearhouse, S&K Menswear and Avenue, for women size 14 and up.

MALL DIVERSIONS: A food court, a great kids play area, a carousel and movie theaters.

OLD HYDE PARK VILLAGE, Swann and Dakota avenues; www.oldhydepark.com

Once the shopping area for trendy South Tampa, Old Hyde Park Village has had a tough time lately. But it's still a pretty, leafy break for those who can bear to be outdoors (for however long it takes to walk between air-conditioned stores) in the summer. It's notable for having two local boutiques in its chain-heavy mix - Kit's Well-heeled and Well-dressed and Georgette's - and it has the only bay area Anthropologie, a purveyor of women's clothing that is funky, stylish and trendy without being obvious about it, though often overpriced.

DIVERSIONS: Restaurants and movie theaters.

CHANNELSIDE, 615 Channelside Drive; www.channelsidetampa.com

It's just barely a mall, given that it has only three stores, one of which specializes in nice costume jewelry (which isn't included in the sales tax holiday). White House Gear sells White House, political, law enforcement- and military-themed clothing. And if you find yourself lacking in tasteful beachy, boaty, tropical life apparel, Hurricane Pass Outfitters can help.

DIVERSIONS: Restaurants, bowling and movie theaters. And the Florida Aquarium is right next door.

The Centro Ybor outdoor mall E Seventh and Eighth avenues, between 15th and 17th streets; www.centroybor.com) has the only bay area Urban Outfitters, a chain big with teens and young adults for its take on what's hot, hip and, yes, urban. (But those who remember its humble beginnings will find today's UO mighty mainstream and pretty pricey.)

Leave Centro Ybor and on Seventh Avenue you'll find much more interesting clothes at La France, Ybor's venerable vintage store. In the other direction and across the street is Phat Shack, full of stuff more urban and punky (with touches of S&M) than anything at Urban Outfitters. And if you're lucky, you'll get a megaphone welcome when you walk in.

DIVERSIONS: Bars, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, bars. Did we mention bars?

BRITTON PLAZA, S Dale Mabry Highway between Gandy Boulevard and Euclid Avenue.

South Tampa's one-stop off-price shopping stop. It has one of the area's better Stein Marts and Marshalls in terms of merchandise selection, along with Burlington Coat Factory and Bealls Outlet.

BETWEEN BAY TO BAY BOULEVARD AND WEST NEPTUNE STREET

Among a few strip malls, boutique-lovers will find shopping nirvana. Just don't expect to find a parking space convenient to them all. And don't even try to cross Dale Mabry unless you're a world-class sprinter. The boutiques are Apropos, half formal wear and half casual/work; Deborah Kent's, the Tampa spot for the latest from American and European designers you have and haven't heard of; Kate McKenzie Clothiers, full of Lilly Pulitzer and Lacoste, to keep the preppy-lovers happy; Sarah & Grete, Clothes/Friends; Pink Palm Boutique, which has an extensive Pulitzer selection for those who can never get enough preppy; M Style Studio, which mixes New York finds and T-shirts with South Tampa scenes from Kay T's by Kate Ward; and Notorious, with fun, funky casual clothes for young adults and teens.

CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE CENTER, corner of N Dale Mabry and S Village Drive.

Home to one of four bay area locations of Plato's Closet, a consignment store for teen boys and girls. The others are in Brandon (1991A W Lumsden Road), Palm Harbor (33211 U.S. 19 N) and Largo (Largo Mall, corner of Ulmerton Road and Seminole Boulevard). Each one has a great selection of gently used (sometimes not-at-all used) clothes, possibly a testament to teens' short attention spans. The stores are also neat and meticulously organized.

CARROLLWOOD COMMONS, corner of N Dale Mabry and Erlich Road.

Setting this strip mall apart are DSW, the only bay area location of the national discount chain revered by shoe fanatics; the Liz Claiborne Company Store, the only bay area Claiborne outlet outside of the outlet mall in Ellenton; and Justice Just for Girls, a part of the Limited Too 'tween-girls clothing chain, but with lower prices and more modest clothes.

BERC BLACK, 711 Harbour Post Drive, Harbour Island.

It's small and funky, with lines including Catch a Fire (by Bob Marley's daughter Cedella), Rye T's, Made U Look, Cheeky, Fresh Los Angeles, Frankie B jeans, and if you miss the '80s, the revived Camp Beverly Hills.

WESTFIELD BRANDON, W Brandon Boulevard, east of Interstate 75, off Exit 257; www.westfield.com/brandon

Similar in setup to Westfield chain relative Citrus Park, it's another mall for people who hate to shop. Its anchors are Macy's, Sears, JCPenney and Dillard's (notable for having a MAC makeup counter, not something found at the average Dillard's). In more synergy with Citrus Park, it has the other bay area Eddie Bauer store.

A strip of stores right beside the mall includes the area's best Ross Dress for Less (neat, organized and big, much like the one adjacent to, yes, Citrus Park). Across Brandon Boulevard is an outdoor strip mall that includes a decent T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, and an S&K Menswear Superstore.

MALL DIVERSIONS: A food court, restaurants and a carousel.

PINELLAS COUNTY

TYRONE SQUARE MALL, 6901 22nd Ave N; www.simon.com

On one side, St. Petersburg's old reliable mall looks like it's being torn up. Part of it is. It's adding two upscale chain restaurants, a Bonefish Grill and a Lee Roy Selmon's, in time for the Christmas shopping season, and retail development will be announced soon, mall owner Simon Property Group says. The ripped-up parking lot area is being remade into a streetscape with another entrance.

Meanwhile, the rest of the mall goes about its business, anchored by JCPenney, Sears, Dillard's and Macy's. It has one of our favorite men's stores, Mr. Man (University Mall has one, too), in part because women who want a man-tailored look can buy there and the store will make alterations for them.

In more shopping pod action, the mall's vicinity includes another Ross Dress for Less (Crossroads Center, 2050 Tyrone Blvd. N) and bay area institution Peltz Shoes (7121 22nd Ave. N).

MALL DIVERSIONS: Food court, restaurants and movie theaters.

BAYWALK, corner of Second Avenue N and Second Street N; baywalkstpete.com.

At the place best-known for its bars, restaurants and movie theaters, tax-holiday shoppers can check out The Buzz. It has trendy clothing brands for the young, including Lacoste, Juicy Couture, jeans by Citizens of Humanity, Rock and Republic, and Paper Denim and Cloth; and Nicky Hilton's attempt at design, Chick. There's also a good Ann Taylor, White House/Black Market, Hurricane Pass and Chico's, and Fresh Produce casual wear at Five Fish.

BEST NEW OFF-PRICE STORE

The Shop, Name Brand Catalog Shopping, 425 33rd Ave. N, off Fourth Street N. Open since Thanksgiving in a small space beside a construction company, it sells catalog overstocks, with prices at least half off retail. The brands available include JCrew (a LOT of JCrew), Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, American Eagle and DKNY jeans.

CLEARWATER MALL, intersection of U.S. 19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.

On the site of what once was a traditional enclosed mall, there's now a big strip center most notable to tax-holiday shoppers for SuperTarget, which in addition to the grocery store has bigger merchandise selections than a regular Target in all departments. For shoes, there's also Peltz, Famous Footwear and Skechers.

WESTFIELD COUNTRYSIDE, 27001 U.S 19 N; www.westfield.com/countryside

It's the mall with the ice rink. It's much spruced up from its pre-Westfield days, with two floors almost full of all the usual suspects. Its anchors are JCPenney, Dillard's, Macy's and Sears. It boasts three stores specializing in women's plus-size clothing, Lane Bryant, Torrid and Avenue. And it has one of the two bay area Jos. A. Bank stores for men (the other is in International Plaza).

MALL DIVERSIONS: The ice rink, a kids play area, a food court and restaurants.

SEMINOLE MALL, 113 Street N and Park Boulevard.

It's small and specialized, with a particularly well-stocked and organized Stein Mart and a roomy, well-kept Ross Dress for Less.

SEMINOLE PLAZA, corner of Park and Seminole boulevards.

This has our favorite T.J. Maxx store in the bay area: clean and neat, with rack signs that actually correspond to the clothes they're placed by. Why can't they all be like this?

LARGO MALL, corner of Ulmerton Road and Seminole Boulevard.

A strip mall whose main points of interest are a Plato's Closet (see description above), a regular Target, a nice Marshalls and a movie theater.

In two years, Wesley Chapel will be the mall mecca of the bay area. Scheduled to open in 2007 are Cypress Creek Town Center, planned to be bigger than the Citrus Park and Brandon malls, and the Shops at Wiregrass, expected to have 60 stores, including the JCPenney relocating from University Mall and a Dillard's. A third proposed mall, the Grove at Wesley Chapel, is trying to get similar tenants.

Until then, the Pasco County mall action is all on the west side, where it has been for decades. The Dillard's-like Belk department store chain has a new store in Land O'Lakes to go with ones in Brooksville and Crystal River. The rest of the shopping mainstays are Targets, including a SuperTarget in Wesley Chapel, Wal-Marts, Bealls, Ross, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx.

GULF VIEW SQUARE, 9409 U.S. 19; www.simon.com

It has everything you'd expect in a full-service mall. Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney and Sears are the anchor stores, with edited selections compared with the bigger stores to the south. Old Navy bolsters its role as one of the most ubiquitous dressers of America with a store here. And in an unusual mall business placement, there are two Casual Corner outlets, for petites and nonpetites, but no regular Casual Corner.

DIVERSIONS: A Sam Seltzer's Steakhouse, a wings-and-beer place, a food court, and in another unusual mall placement, a Best Buy.

CRYSTAL RIVER MALL, 1801 NW U.S. 19; www.simon.com

Many residents head to Ocala and Gainesville for big shopping trips, but with anchor stores Belk, JCPenney, Kmart and Sears, this meets most basic needs.

DIVERSIONS: Movie theaters and a food court.

PRIME OUTLETS ELLENTON, 5461 Factory Shops Blvd., Ellenton, off Interstate 75 South, Exit 224; www.primeoutlets.com

The ugly secret of outlet malls: Most of the time you can find better bargains at sales in regular stores. But outlet mall expeditions have become an American shopping tradition, and some good bargains can be found. Among the 74 clothing and shoe outlets here: Off 5th (Saks Fifth Avenue), BCBG Max Azria, Gap, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren, Nine West, Naturalizer, Liz Claiborne, Bostonian-Clarks, Oshkosh B'Gosh, The Children's Place, Izod, Johnston & Murphy, S&K Menswear, Pac Sun and Aeropostale.

DIVERSIONS: A food court, a kids play area and an ice rink next door.

Sharon Fink can be reached at 727 893-8525 or fink@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 21, 2005, 14:38:39]