SOMETHING YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT… THE STORM AFTER THE CALM

According to Bain & Co, luxury goods including designer clothes, leather goods, watches, jewelry and such were predicted to have a 10% increase in sales in 2010, reported in a study commissioned by Italy’s Fondazione Altagamma association of high-end producers.  Sales had declined by 8% in 2009. 

So far US sales of high-end items are up 12% with wardrobe replenishment after a year of careful holding back, Asians up 22% and Europeans spending 6% more for luxury items.  With the holiday season still ahead, Bain predicts a 9-11% growth during that period, so it’s time to open your wallets folks, and keep the stores in business.

Powering the spending are the Chinese with sales growing 30%. Chinese tourists are traveling the world en masse and spending as they go.  The study reports that larger brands are faring better than smaller ones, which may foretell the possibilities of mergers or absorptions of small companies, and menswear is growing faster than women’s wear… amazing?  Our men are browsing the internet for their favorite brands and buying online.

Leather goods purchases had held up and are expected to grow by 16%.

May as well get in on the buying binge now as, due to the likely continuing lowering of the dollar against the euro, growth is predicted to head down 3-5% in 2011.

TWO BOYNTON BEACH HISTORIC HOMES SLATED TO BECOME RESTAURANTS

No doubt the sense of history surrounding these two homes in the downtown Boynton Beach area will add to the charm of these restaurants that were recently approved by the City Commissioners acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board.  These changes are made to help restore Ocean Avenue’s identity to bring shoppers to the area to stroll, eat and buy.  When I95 was built in the 1970’s the Ocean Avenue area was cut off and has been struggling for an identity ever since.

The two-story Magnuson House at 211 East Ocean Avenue was built in about 1910 by a Swedish immigrant and farmer, Oscar Sten Magnuson.  His wife, Eunice Benson Magnuson was one of the first town clerks.  It will be leased to the restaurant owners with an exclusive option to buy the property for its appraised value of $340,000 after the first year of operation.  The new Oscar’s Restaurant will be an organic café serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. 

The Ruth Jones Cottage at 201 NE !st Street would be moved to the southwest corner of East Ocean Avenue and Southeast 4^th Street later this year.  The restaurant owner is asking for no rent the first year.  It would become the 201 Trading Post, a combined eat-in restaurant and market for prepared meals-to-go and catering service.  Built in1940, it was the home of Ruth Jones until about two years ago.  With her late husband Mason, a farmer and member of a Boynton pioneer-family, they raised five children there.  The new location would be next to an existing public parking lot with 21 parking spaces. 

Also on the drawing board are an entryway with a distinctive city logo at the marina end of Ocean Avenue and an outdoor amphitheater on the grounds of the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum in an area with mature oak trees and a natural bowl setting to be used for performances. 

ROBB & STUCKY’S STAGING TO SELL 

CAN ALSO GIVE YOU RE-DO IDEAS 

IF YOU ARE NOT SELLING!

Seminar to be held on 10/28/2010 at 2 pm at Robb & Stucky in Mizner Park, Boca Raton, upstairs in the Community Room.   

Get tips on how to “prep” your home for a faster sale to make it stand out from others on the market.  Or, if you are not selling, how about ideas to spruce up your home like the experts would do!   

Before or after the seminar take a look through their fabulous furniture and accessory items… just one new beautiful piece can update and enhance the look of your home.   

 

Come earlier and stop in one of the trendy Mizner Park restaurants for lunch... perhaps eating outside, watching the passing parade.  Could be a lovely way to spend an afternoon!

GET OUT THE MEGAPHONES… A FOOTBALL STADIUM 

IS COMING TO BOCA RATON

The Florida Board of Governors unanimously approved a resolution authorizing FAU to finance part of the construction of a 30,000-seat stadium and associated improvements.  In July the FAU Board of Trustees had unanimously approved the project and its financing plan.

FAU’s Innovation Village is located in the north central campus area where the stadium will be built.  This is a gathering place for alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members to live, learn, dine, shop, enjoy and build tradition.  A student housing facility is under construction and scheduled to open in the fall of 2011.  A retail area is being planned.

The $70MM project will be home to the two-time bowl winning OWL football team.  20 luxury suites will be featured with 1,000 club seats and, of course, the latest state-of-the-art amenities.  Completion is scheduled for fall 2001, with construction expected to start in October 2010. 

All together now, let’s give a cheer for the new excitement that is coming to our area!