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Red awning signals that, yes, Talbots is coming

By MARY JANE PARK
Published July 23, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - Add another incremental indicator of St. Petersburg's current boom: South Pinellas soon will have a Talbots.

A 3,160-square-foot store will open in September at 5004 Fourth St. N in the new Royal Palms Center. It will be the only clothier in the new development, said Richard Travis, who built the strip mall.

That is somewhat unusual, according to Craig Sher, president and chief executive of the Sembler Co., which constructs shopping centers in the Southeast and Puerto Rico.

For example, Chico's and White House/Black Market often situate near each other, as they have in BayWalk, a Sembler property, which also has an Ann Taylor store.

"Certainly St. Pete is on their radar screen," Sher said. "I think they'll do fine on Fourth Street. I think everyone will know that they're there. They're a good name. They're a successful retailer. They're a welcome addition to St. Petersburg."

Jennifer Rogers shops Talbots online and is eagerly awaiting an actual location to browse.

"I'm thrilled about having one here on Fourth Street," said Rogers, a division manager with Allstate Insurance Co.'s call center in St. Petersburg's Carillon area. She and other management team members try to portray Allstate's corporate image through their attire.

The clothing projects "a good, professional, classic image," versatile enough to be appropriate for business and more casual events.

"I'll be going over there on my lunch hour," Rogers said.

"We are so excited," said Anne Dawson. "We are thrilled. Do you know what I did? When BayWalk opened, I wrote the president of Talbots and told him, 'We need a Talbots in St. Petersburg.' "

She received a $25 gift card from the executive.

Dawson, who is marketing director for the Dawson Center, which offers continuing education for dentists, said her firm has used suits and some dresses from Talbots as uniforms for its clients.

Dawson and a colleague, Mary Lynn Coppins, said they knew Talbots was coming to town when the signature red awning went up on an anchor store in the new shopping center.

Talbots has several stores in the Tampa Bay area, at the Northwood Plaza in Clearwater; Citrus Park Town Center, International Plaza and Old Hyde Park Village in Tampa; and at the Brandon Town Center Mall.

Donna Fletcher, community relations director for the Arts Center, said she has been a Talbots shopper for almost 20 years, preferring the store in Old Hyde Park.

"The big bonus is now their convenience," she said.

"They don't have many suburban stores in the area, and I've never lived so close to one. Whoopee! Red Mesa and Talbots within a block. You can't beat that."

Phil Tracey, Talbots manager of public relations in Hingham, Mass., said the retailer is chiefly a catalog business, sending out more than 40-million books worldwide each year. Analysts monitor those sales before scouting for real estate.

Once purchases reach a certain level, one Tracey did not specify, they look to open a bricks-and-mortar outlet.

St. Petersburg's strong customer base and location "just kind of fit the bill for us," he said.

Talbots markets to women in a broad range of ages and income levels. Its typical customer is "35 and over, college-educated, involved in her community, either volunteering or a vocal member of the community in terms of town issues," Tracey said.

Of St. Petersburg, he said: "It's a perfect community for us."

Sher predicts that Talbots is just a taste of what's to come.

"I think you'll see more and more come in over the years," Sher said. "It's not the green bench little town it used to be."

[Last modified July 22, 2006, 20:31:17]