Week of October 6, 2011
| Discovery Clothing Co. eyes 10 South Florida sites By Patricia HoyosOne year after opening its doors, Chicago retailer Discovery Clothing Co.'s Hialeah location has exceeded expectations and has become one of the company's top grossing stores, leading the company to target 10 South Florida locations in years to come. Located at 775 W 49th St., the Hialeah store is Discovery's first and only location outside the Midwest, having opened Oct. 1, 2010. The retailer is set to open another store in Florida this November in Pembroke Pines, making it Discovery's 28th store. "We found that the demographics were very similar to Chicago," said Jeff Goldman, Discovery Clothing Co. co-owner. "We wanted to bring our stores to a place where there was a large Latino population and mixed demographics." Following the success of the Hialeah store, Discovery's owners want to continue reaching the Florida market and are currently looking at areas including Kendall, Westchester, Miami Lakes and Miramar as possible new store locations, Mr. Goldman said. Their goal, he said, is to have 20 to 25 stores in Florida and to establish about 10 of those in South Florida. They intend to open two or three new stores per year, he added. Despite the difference in weather between Florida and the Midwest states, Mr. Goldman said the clothing offered is similar in every store regardless of location, even in fall and winter. Discovery sells women's apparel, shoes and accessories at discounted prices. The clothing ranges from casual wear to dressier apparel to business attire, with nothing priced over $30. Mr. Goldman attributes the store's popularity in Hialeah to word of mouth, as Discovery hasn't done extensive advertising in South Florida. Although Discovery brought a couple of managers from Chicago to help open the store last year, the current managing team and staff are Hialeah residents. "We found terrific employees in Hialeah," Mr. Goldman said. "Most of the staff we started with is still here. We are so happy to help grow the area in terms of employment." To read the entire issue of Miami Today online, subscribe to e -Miami Today, an exact digital replica of the printed edition. |
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