The prelude to Crate and Barrel’s grand opening in Tampa last week was a charity event that turned into a party planner’s nightmare.
A 90-minute power failure pulled the plug on the festivities an hour before store doors opened to 400 guests. It took a half-hour to free caterers trapped in the stalled elevator. A torrential downpour backed up cars 35 deep at the valet stand. The full-line Crate & Barrel at International Plaza may not be the Chicago chain’s only furniture store between Boca Raton and Atlanta for long. “We’re trying to add a furniture department to our housewares store in Orlando,” said Barbara Turf, chief executive officer, just in from a mall developer convention. The landlord, who also happens to be lining up tenants for proposed high-end shopping center projects in Naples and Sarasota, pitched two more stores. No deals yet. “But you have to believe people will start moving to Florida again,” Turf said. • • •
If keeping up with the Joneses is your reason to buy an HDTV, chances just edged past 50-50 that you should take the plunge.