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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tara Martin, WestShore Plaza, 813/286-0792
Melissa Winchester, Sears, 847/286-5708
SEARS SIGNS LEASE WITH WESTSHORE PLAZA; STORE TO OPEN NEXT FALL
From baby strollers to oil changes, new Sears will provide added conveniences for shoppers.
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TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2001) – WestShore Plaza management announced today that Sears, Roebuck and Co. has signed a lease to open a 154,000-square-foot store at WestShore Plaza. The new full-line Sears, which will employ approximately 200, will anchor the eastern entrance of the mall along Westshore Blvd. Sears will begin renovations on the space immediately with plans to open the new store in fall 2002.
"Our goal has always been to offer the broadest possible selection of merchandise for our customers, and Sears will add a new dimension to WestShore Plaza, complementing our existing retail mix," said Tom Miles, general manager of WestShore Plaza. "Sears has been an icon in American retailing for more than a century, and their wide variety of merchandise and services will provide new conveniences for our customers."
The WestShore Plaza Sears will offer a full-line of items, including apparel, footwear, home fashions, tools, electronics and appliances. Adjacent to the main store on the north side of the building, Sears will construct an associated DieHard Express automotive center that will provide fast battery installation and one-hour tire changes.
"We’re excited about our agreement with WestShore Plaza because it is a family mall, offering something of interest for every member of the family – something we strive to do at Sears," said William McCurry, district general manager for Sears. "We feel our broad selection of offerings will appeal to WestShore’s customer base."
McCurry added that another key ingredient is WestShore’s central location and accessibility from all of the area’s major interstates.
Founded in 1886, Sears, Roebuck and Co. is one of America’s leading retailers of apparel, home and automotive products and services, with annual revenue of more than $40 billion. The Company serves families in the U.S. through Sears stores nationwide, including approximately 860 full-line stores. Sears also offers a wide variety of merchandise and services through its Web site, www.sears.com.
Featuring Saks Fifth Avenue, Burdine’s, JCPenney and a 14-screen AMC theatre, as well as Tampa Bay’s only Maggiano’s and Palm restaurants, WestShore Plaza celebrates over three decades of serving the Tampa Bay community. WestShore Plaza is located at the intersection of Westshore and Kennedy boulevards in Tampa, just one mile south of the Tampa International Airport. For more information, call 813/286-0790 or visit www.westshoreplaza.com. WestShore Plaza is owned by American Freeholds and managed by General Growth Properties Inc., the nation’s second largest owner, manager and developer of regional shopping malls. For more information on General Growth Properties, visit the company Web site at www.generalgrowth.com.
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