Robinson's of Florida was a chain of department stores on Florida's Gulf Coast and Orlando and based in St. Petersburg, Florida, starting with a store at Tyrone Square Mall in 1972. It had been founded in the 1970s as an attempt by Associated Dry Goods to emulate its upscale J. W. Robinson's stores of Southern California on the fast-growing Florida Gulf Coast. This newly created division grew to 10 locations. Rather than investing in the then-stagnant Florida market, May sold this division in 1987 to Baton Rouge based Maison Blanche. [1] [2] Seven of the former Robinson’s of Florida locations were subsequently sold by Maison Blanche to Dillard's* in 1991 while one was replaced and the other two became Gayfers** (which in turn was bought out by Dillard's in 1998) a year later because of Mercantile Stores.
City | Location | Opened | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Tampa | University Square* | 1974 | Relocated by Dillard's in 1995. Original spot is now a wing of shops. |
WestShore Plaza* | Closed by Dillard's in 2001 (relocated to International Plaza and Bay Street). Building is now Sears. Closing in March 2019. | ||
Sarasota | Southgate Plaza* | 1978 (1961 as JCPenney) | Closed by JCPenney in 1977 and again by Dillard's in 2014. Building is mostly split into LA Fitness and Lucky's Market. |
St. Petersburg | Tyrone Square Mall* | 1973 | Still operating as Dillard's. |
Orlando | Orlando Fashion Square** | 1973 | Relocated by Maison Blanche in 1990. Original spot is now a wing of shops. |
The Florida Mall** | 1986 | Closed by Parisian in 2000 and again by Lord & Taylor in 2006. Location is now an outdoor shopping area. | |
Naples | Coastland Center* | 1985 | Rebuilt by Dillard's in 1995. Still operating as Dillard's. |
Fort Myers | Edison Mall* | Expanded and renovated by Dillard's in 1999. Still operating as Dillard's. | |
Clearwater | Countryside Mall* | 1976 | Remodeled by Dillard's in 2001. Still operating as Dillard's. |
Altamonte Springs | Altamonte Mall** | 1974 | Still operating as Dillard's. |
The May Department Stores Company was an American department store holding company, formerly headquartered in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It was founded in Leadville, Colorado, by David May in 1877, moving to St. Louis in 1905. After many changes in the retail industry, the company merged with Federated Department Stores in 2005.
The Florida Mall is a super regional enclosed shopping mall located south of Orlando in unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States, on the southeast corner of Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road; it opened in 1986. The facility was developed by a Joint Venture of Eddie DeBartolo of DeBartolo Realty & JCP Realty, Inc. starting in 1979-1984; it is currently managed by Simon Property Group, which owns 50%, having fallen to Simon following the 1996 merger of Simon and DeBartolo Realty into Simon DeBartolo Group. With 1,699,571 sq ft (157,900 m2) of gross leasable area and 294 retailers, it is one of the largest single-story malls in the United States and the largest mall in Central Florida.
Mr. Bingle is a fictional character marketed and sold by department store Dillard's during the holiday season. Originating as a mascot of the Maison Blanche department store in New Orleans, Louisiana, Mr. Bingle has become an important part of the popular culture of the Greater New Orleans area, and even across the United States.
Dillard's, Inc. is an upscale American department store chain with approximately 282 stores in 29 states and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently, the largest number of stores are located in Texas with 57 and Florida with 42. The company also has stores in 27 more states; however, it is absent from the Northeast, most of the Upper Midwest, the Northwest, and most of California, aside from three stores in smaller cities.
WestShore Plaza is one of two enclosed shopping malls located in the Westshore business district of Tampa, Florida, developed by Albert L. Manley of Boston, MA. WestShore Plaza was opened in 1967 and was touted as Tampa's first shopping center that was fully air-conditioned. WestShore houses many specialty shops including Francesca's Collection, LOFT, New Balance, H&M, Old Navy, Sunglass Hut, and more. The property is owned and managed by Washington Prime Group.
Gayfer's was a regional department store chain in the southern United States. Based in Mobile, Alabama, the chain of stores operated from 1879 until 1998 when it was taken over by Dillard's.
Associated Dry Goods Corporation (ADG) was a chain of department stores that merged with May Department Stores in 1986. It was founded in 1916 as an association of independent stores called American Dry Goods, based in New York City.
J. W. Robinson Co., Robinson's, was a chain of department stores operating in the Southern California and Arizona area, previously with headquarters in Los Angeles, California.
Maison Blanche was a department store in New Orleans, Louisiana, and later also a chain of department stores. It was founded in 1897 by Isidore Newman, an immigrant from Germany.
Countryside Mall is a shopping mall in Clearwater, Florida. Situated near the coastline on the Gulf Coast, it serves over 9 million customers every year, and is home to five anchor stores, a 12-screen Cobb Theatres, numerous restaurants, and a full-size ice skating rink.
Orlando Fashion Square is a split one-story, two-story indoor shopping mall located in Orlando, Florida. Opened in 1973, it features 79 stores in over one million square feet of shop space. The mall's anchor stores are Macy's, Floor & Decor, and Dillard's Clearance Center. Predating the mall's opening was a Sears department store opened in 1963; this store closed in 2016 and has been raised for redevelopment. JCPenney, another anchor store closed in 2020. Other major tenants include Premiere Cinemas, a food court, and Planet Fitness. The mall is managed by UP Development, Inc.
Cortana Mall (formerly The Mall at Cortana was an enclosed shopping mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was at the intersection of Airline Highway and Florida Blvd. It was last owned by Moonbeam Equities of Las Vegas, Nevada. It opened in 1976 and was demolished in 2021.
Lakeland Square Mall is a shopping mall located on the northern side of Lakeland, Florida. It is one of two enclosed malls serving Polk County and the only shopping mall located off of I-4 between Tampa and Orlando. It is currently anchored by Dillard's, Resale America, J. C. Penney, Urban Air Adventure Park, and Cinemark Theatres.
Coastland Center is a shopping mall located in Naples, Florida. Opened in 1976, it features Macy's, JCPenney, and Dillard's as its anchors. It hosts a food court and many other specialty stores. The food court is the main attraction. The mall itself is situated on just one floor, but all of the anchor stores have two floors. In 2019 the former Sears got demolished and rebuilt to a new movie theater CMX CinéBistro and uncle Julio’s opened in 2022 in the former Sears parking lot with Twin Peaks sport bar and restaurant in 2023.
Regency Square Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in the Arlington area of Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Opened in 1967 and once one of the most successful malls in the country, the mall now features around 20 stores, including one anchor store, Dillard's Clearance Center, Impact Church, and a food court. It is owned by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management.
Altamonte Mall is a super-regional shopping mall located in Altamonte Springs, Florida, United States, a suburb of Orlando. Mall anchors are Dillard's, JCPenney, and Macy's with one vacant anchor once occupied by Sears, and other notable tenants are H&M, Forever 21, Apple Store, AMC Theatres, Pandora Jewelry, and Barnes & Noble. The center is the largest enclosed and conventional shopping mall in Seminole County and the third largest in total by square footage in Central Florida behind The Mall at Millenia and The Florida Mall.
Edison Mall is an enclosed, super-regional shopping mall in Fort Myers, Florida. The mall opened in 1965, and has been expanded three times since. Edison Mall is owned by Washington Prime Group, which took over the mall in 2014. The mall is named for inventor Thomas Edison, who owned a winter residence and laboratory in Fort Myers. The mall's anchors are Dillard's, JCPenney, and two Macy's stores, and also includes 133 stores and a lifestyle center section. The mall itself is situated on just one floor, but all of the anchor stores except for the former Sears have two floors.
Orange Park Mall is a shopping mall located in Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace, an unincorporated suburban area just west of Orange Park, Florida, United States. It features Dillard's, JCPenney, Belk, Dick's Sporting Goods, and AMC Theatres as anchor stores.
Crossings at Siesta Key is a shopping mall in Sarasota, Florida that opened in 1956. The mall is anchored by Macy's, LA Fitness, and Cinebistro
Tyrone Square is an enclosed shopping mall in St. Petersburg, Florida. Opened in 1972, it features Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard's, Five Below, J. C. Penney, Macy's, and PetSmart as its anchor stores.