Despite concerns about inflation and economic outlook, shoppers don’t seem to be losing any interest in luxury and premium goods.
Florida placed fourth in the country for a “general interest in anything luxury” — whether it be cars, jewelry, clothes or other goods — according to Google Trends. Neighboring Georgia ranked at No. 5.
Clearly the interest in luxury shopping exists in Florida, and Jacksonville’s widespread availability of high-end brands indicates the trends continue around the city.
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“Luxury is hot,” said Ashlee Schneider, director of marketing and business development at St. Johns Town Center. “In addition to housing great brands like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Mayors Jewelers, we recently opened Restoration Hardware last year to much success. … We are always looking to expand our unparalleled lineup of stores.”
In a breakdown of Google searches for the term “luxury” in Florida, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area ranked highest, followed by West Palm Beach through Fort Pierce, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fort Myers-Naples and then Jacksonville in the fifth spot.
In Jacksonville, these searches tend to be the highest around the holidays — in November and January specifically — and in April, when many people might be receiving their tax returns for the year, according to 2021 data.
Schneider said being near many affluent communities and in a second-home market, as well as “a growing young working audience with a luxury fan base,” makes the town center a good fit for the community
St. Johns Town Center continuously opens new stores, like Psycho Bunny and South Moon Under, to provide excitement and novelty for locals, Schneider said.
Jacksonville has a long history of wanting — and attracting — specific brands to come to the area. From wishing for Tiffany & Co., IKEA and Gucci — all of which are now in or coming soon to Jacksonville — to the never-ending desire for a Macy’s, local shoppers seem to know exactly what they want and how to raise enough interest to get it.
And stores like this draw tourists to the area, too.
“Shopping is one of the top activities for tourists in Jacksonville,” Schneider said.
Although most of the town center’s customers are locally based, it is the only location for many luxury stores between Orlando and Atlanta, making it a destination for the surrounding areas, too.
Schneider said there aren’t any specific plans to add more luxury stores in at the moment but that the town center is always looking to expand.
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