Mathew Whitman-Lazenby, Stanley Whitman, and Randall Whitman
In 2020, Bal Harbour Shops marks its 55th year amidst a $550-million enhancement plan, including new retail and dining that will solidify the destination as a global luxury retail icon for decades to come. The expansion will add nearly 250,000 square feet to the open-air shopping center, nearly doubling Bal Harbour Shops’ current retail space to accommodate the lengthy waiting list of luxury stores that want to bring their exclusive brands to this premier shopping center.
In 1965, when owner/developer Stanley Whitman opened Florida’s first exclusive, high-fashion shopping center on what had been the site of a World War II army barracks, retail experts scoffed at the ambitious Bal Harbour Shops’ upscale store mix. After all, at that time the norm was to mix essential service tenants—such as grocery and hardware stores—with retail. And, with the advent of air conditioning sweeping the nation, enormous enclosed malls surrounded by seas of asphalt parking as far as the eye could see were being built at breakneck speed.
Bal Harbour Shops Archival Rendering
Bucking the trend, Bal Harbour Shops was designed to celebrate the balmy beauty of South Florida. Ideally situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay in the affluent village of Bal Harbour, the lushly landscaped, open-air destination didn’t look or feel like any other center in the United States. Even its parking areas with their generous palm canopies, were designed with comfort, convenience and natural beauty in mind.
Bal Harbour Shops’ early success was largely due to Whitman’s resolve in persuading Neiman Marcus, in 1971, to open its first specialty department store outside its native Texas and in luring designer boutiques that previously could only be found along the Champs-Elysées in Paris or on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Attracted by the immediate success of Neiman Marcus, in 1976, Saks Fifth Avenue became Bal Harbour Shops’ second anchor store and it became the very first place in the world that Neiman Marcus and Saks would both call home. In 1982 a 100,000-square-foot second level was added to the shopping center to accommodate the demand for more retail space from luxury brands.
Recognized as the forerunner of luxury shopping mall developers, Stanley Whitman was considered somewhat of a maverick. The coveted collection of stores that Whitman assembled was unparalleled and quickly became the industry benchmark, generating the highest annual sales productivity in the nation. Bal Harbour Shops was the first shopping center location that many famed European brands chose as the site for their first ventures outside of New York. Today, this “Shopping Hall of Fame” is home to more than 100 of the world’s most famous and most luxurious fashion and jewelry brands.
In 2012, Bal Harbour Shops topped the list as the world’s most productive shopping center, based on sales per square foot* and the top-selling retail center in the country according to Women’s Wear Daily. Bal Harbour Shops continues to remain an industry leader for more than half a century integrating a dynamic website with editorial content and a global following as well as engaging social media channels with over 500,000 followers. Though the opulence and style of Bal Harbour Shops was the embodiment of one man’s dream, the elder Whitman was fortunate to have his son Randy Whitman and grandson Matthew Whitman Lazenby to share his passion for this family owned and managed business.
*According to data compiled by the International Council of Shopping Centers.
A love story. A legacy. An affair to remember.
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Love, B.
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It’s not trendy; it’s timeless. It’s not of the moment; it’s enduring. Sixty years ago, Bal Harbour Shops debuted an entirely new retail concept—a destination.
It’s our diamond anniversary, and you better believe we’re going to shine bright. Stay tuned as we prepare to celebrate six decades of being unapologetically BHS.
All eyes on Bal Harbour, the little seaside town that proved high fashion could thrive outside of Paris and New York. From the very beginning, founder Stanley Whitman did what no one else would dare to. At a time when open-air luxury retail was unheard of, Bal Harbour Shops set a new standard—combining visionary design, high fashion, and a destination-driven experience. The Shops is a tropical oasis of luxury retail set amongst the palms, where ponds are animated with beloved koi and turtles. Imagine forfeiting revenue-generating square-footage in the name of the client experience? Whitman placed the client first, and that remains his legacy.
By the 1980s, Bal Harbour Shops had become the highest-grossing retail center in the world, proving that high fashion could thrive outside New York and Paris. It redefined the luxury shopping experience, setting the blueprint for future retail destinations and remaining the ultimate symbol of aspirational elegance.
Over the decades, the Shops touted many firsts: the first Neiman Marcus store outside of Texas (1971), the first to house Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus under one roof (1976); when Gucci opened (1977) Bal Harbour Shops was its first “mall” location; and many more boundary-breaking moments.
But, perhaps the feather in the cap moment was in 1984 when, just two weeks after being presented at the Paris collections, 16 leading couture and ready to wear designers—including Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Dior, Guy Laroche, Courrèges, and Kenzo—presented a fashion show at the inaugural Gala Bal Harbour. This was the first time ever that the collections were shown in the US ahead of being shown in New York. “Move Over New York: Couturiers from France Like Bal Harbour” declared the Wall Street Journal, while another headline declared “Bal Harbour Shops had pulled off one of the biggest coups of the year.”
For more on the history of Bal Harbour Shops click the link in bio.
