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By 2013, Hermès will have traded its 4,500-square-foot store at the Bal Harbour Shops in Florida to one double the size in the Miami Design District (so, not quite the beach above). But they'll be hitting the road sooner than that: WWD reports that when their lease is up in December 2012, they'll set up a temporary shop in the district while they wait for their new Miami digs.
Robert Chavez, the CEO and president of Hermès, had only nice things to say about their soon-to-be new neighborhood, and about its primary landlord, Craig Robins: "What Craig is doing in the district is going to significantly change that whole area, and will become a major draw over a longer period of time. We think other luxury retailers will join us." We also don't imagine it'd be too hard to convince a celeb with a Birkin to come down and shop at an Hermès in Miami.
Here's an outline of the future plans:
Men's will receive a much larger space, there will be a more significant presentation of watches and jewelry, shoes will be expanded, and accessories, which is "sorely represented, will get a new presentation." Chavez doesn’t see any need to expand women's, as it has a fair amount of square footage already.Furniture will also be added. 'We'll increase our home offering significantly. Now we're carrying home in six stores and only three of those stores carry it in a pretty significant way. Adjacent to our new store will be a small St. Louis crystal shop, the first of its kind in the U.S."
· Hermès to Open in Miami Design District [WWD]
· Hermès [Official Site]