Pier Park stores prepare for fall

PANAMA CITY BEACH - Carter's is opening its newest children's clothing store Wednesday at Pier Park, as summer winds down and the first "shoulder" season is about to begin for most of the Panama City Beach development's retailers and restaurants. 

While Carter's stocks its 5,500-square-foot store with baby and children's playwear and sleepwear, other Pier Park stores are assessing their first summer season and making plans to attract customers this fall.
    
More than 80 businesses have opened at Pier Park since the start of 2008, and Carter's store manager Shirley Hightower said she expects her store to do well at the new location.
    
"It'll be awesome with all these new babies coming around," Hightower said.
    
Carter's district manager Cindy Roddenberry said the development of Pier Park and Panama City Beach were key attractions for the company, whiAch sports 200 locations nationwide and has had a longtime outlet at Destin's Silver Sands Factory Stores.
    
Hightower said several Pier Park visitors have peeked inside and inquired about the store's opening.
    
She said she had handed out about 6,000 Carter's grand opening coupons to Pier Park customers and visitors Hightower encountered at the Workforce Center, an employment service center.
    
"I have maybe 100 left," Hightower said
    
Carter's was one of 14 Pier Park retailers with scheduled August openings.
    
Simon Property Group spokesman Les Morris said Friday the development's retailers and restaurants had performed extremely well in the spring and summer this year.
    
He said Simon was pleased with the reception Pier Park had received from local residents and tourists.
    
Morris said there would be more Pier Park store opening announcements in September and throughout the fall.
    
Morris said Simon's hope and expectation is that Pier Park's large conglomeration of stores will continue to be a magnet for customers during the off season.
    
John Comer, Southern Restaurant Group President/CEO, said that the company's two Pier Park restaurants, Back Porch and Reggae J's Island Grill, had exceeded expectations since their 2008 debuts. The two-story Back Porch opened in February, with the 600-seat Reggae J's opening about Memorial Day.
    
Comer said some Pier Park restaurants would be offering off-season specials for local customers in an effort to maintain strong sales.
    
"We're hopeful that business will stay good," Comer said.
    
At Blender Clothing, store coowner Stephanie Brudnicki said that, as far as she knew, most of the Pier Park stores did well this summer.
    
Blender opened May 1, next to Hofbrau, and Brudnicki said her strongest sales months were June and July.
    
As she talked, music came through loud and clear from across the street at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, another business that appeared to be doing brisk sales, Brudnicki said.
    
Brudnicki said she was excited to see what other businesses Simon would bring into Pier Park.
    
"I think it's better for everyone all around that it's more full here," Brudnicki said.
    
She said August sales slowed down a bit, something she attributed to bad weather and several days of double-red flags on the beach.
    
Like Comer, Brudnicki said she and co-owner Steve O'Brien were preparing for the offseason and planned to offer more deals for locals.