Touch of European style to land at Hillsborough mall

By MARK ALBRIGHT
Published February 13, 2006

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Bijou Brigitte may sound French, but it's really a German jewelry and accessories retailer with a flare for continental trendiness.

It's not just costume jewelry. The collection includes flashy gemstones, sterling silver and fake diamonds. Jammed with 9,000 items, the stores are packed with bags, belts, bodywear, hats and charms that often are accented with fake fur or feathers.

The chain, which has spread from Hamburg to 842 stores in 11 European countries, will make landfall in the United States with a 1,270-square-foot store in Westfield Citrus Park mall this spring.

Owners of the 43-year-old company have been expanding quickly while their formula resonates with customers. Sales in stores open more than a year rose 14 percent in 2005. The company's sales hit $360-million, tripling in five years.

Bijou Brigitte joins Hollister and Teavana as newcomers to open in the northwest Hillsborough mall this year. Dick's Sporting Goods, another newcomer to the Tampa Bay area with deals so far to open in Brandon and Wesley Chapel, will build a third store next to Westfield Citrus Park mall's Regal Theaters. It's scheduled to open in 2007.