By Mark Baratelli
Owner
Staff Page
November 17, 2010 The Director of Mall Marketing & Business Development for The Florida Mall, Jamie Roy, and President of Bitner Kennessy, Kimbra Hennessey, invited several bloggers and one newspaper writer to lunch Tuesday afternoon. They introduced us to the The Florida Mall's new mobile phone app just released in time for Black Friday. This mall is expecting 100,000 people to visit the mall on Black Friday and will open at midnight for eager holiday shoppers.
Our lunch was a relaxed grazing from the lunch menu at Italian chain Buca Di Beppo. I had salmon and broccoli, which rocked. We went around the table introducing ourselves and our blogs, then leisurely yacked about airport scanners, embedded chips in children's arms and the Black Friday App. Full to the brim with good food, we all waddled outside the restaurant where Kimbra took our photo for her records and then went on a tour of the mall, led by Jamie. She pointed out all the new stores to us. Did you know the mall is at 100% occupancy? What bad economy?
Jamie shared that about 60% of visitors to the mall are tourists and a majority of them are from Brazil. She said high schoolers from that country come to Orlando not for Disney, but to shop for American clothes. She said they usually spend about three days in Orlando, visiting Florida Mall, the outlet malls and Millenia Mall, stocking up.
Owner
Staff Page
Our lunch was a relaxed grazing from the lunch menu at Italian chain Buca Di Beppo. I had salmon and broccoli, which rocked. We went around the table introducing ourselves and our blogs, then leisurely yacked about airport scanners, embedded chips in children's arms and the Black Friday App. Full to the brim with good food, we all waddled outside the restaurant where Kimbra took our photo for her records and then went on a tour of the mall, led by Jamie. She pointed out all the new stores to us. Did you know the mall is at 100% occupancy? What bad economy?
Jamie shared that about 60% of visitors to the mall are tourists and a majority of them are from Brazil. She said high schoolers from that country come to Orlando not for Disney, but to shop for American clothes. She said they usually spend about three days in Orlando, visiting Florida Mall, the outlet malls and Millenia Mall, stocking up.
(L - R) Jennifer Leet of LeetStreetMedia.com, Sarah Lundy of Orlando Sentinel, Kimbra Hennessy of Bitner Hennessy PR Firm.
(L - R) Jamie Roy of The Florida Mall, J of J's Everyday Fashion, Kiran of Kirantarun.
Me and the Pope head.
Below are photos of the newer stores to the mall she pointed out to us.
Charming Charlie organizes its accessories by color.
A'GACI was described to me as a Forever 21-type store.
Lanvin is coming to H&M November 20, 2010
Froyo invades! Mochi moves mall-side.
California-based chain CCS selling sporty stuff.
Fitness Footwear opens this weekend.
Most stylish murse/manbag I ever bought was from Zara.
Cotton On is from Australia. The decor reminds me of a 1980s GAP.
Mall Santa sans traditional red suit, instead in a snazzy modern vest.