The International Drive Value Center is quickly becoming off-price central in Orlando.
Dublin, CA-based Ross Stores Inc. is set to open a second Ross Dress for Less location within the same shopping plaza, situated at 5295 International Drive. The retail strip, owned by Charlotte-based Collett Capital and leased by Colliers, already features a highly successful existing Ross store as well as dd’s DISCOUNTS, another popular off-price chain owned and operated by Ross Stores.
Once the new location officially opens, shoppers will be able to visit two separate Ross Dress for Less stores and a dd’s DISCOUNTS—all within steps of one another in the very same shopping center.
A retail treasure hunt driven by tourism
The decision for a retailer to double down in a single shopping center is rare, but the location’s sky-high sales figures justify the move.
According to Jorge Rodriguez, Executive Managing Director of Retail Services at Colliers, the existing Ross location at the plaza stands among the absolute best-performing stores in the nation, fueled heavily by international tourists visiting Orlando. “They crush it,” he said.
“The store does so well because of the foreign nationals that shop there,” said Colliers Orlando Senior Managing Director Alex Evans. “They come in by the busload, buy luggage on site, fill the luggage with stuff from Ross and send it back to their country.”
Rodriguez noted that the thrill of finding unpredictable deals across multiple nearby stores creates a unique draw for discount shoppers.
“It’s sort of like a treasure hunt. People enjoy that,” Evans interjected.
Massive retail footprint across three stores
Together, the three stores operating under the Ross Stores Inc. umbrella will encompass a massive combined footprint of over 81,000 square feet within the retail center. The current, long-standing Ross Dress for Less occupies 28,220 square feet in unit 145, while the forthcoming second Ross location will add another 28,054 square feet in unit 130. Supplementing the two flagship brand spaces is dd’s DISCOUNTS, which takes up 24,913 square feet in unit 100.
High-profile additions and vacancies
Another major upcoming tenant arrival further underscores renewable momentum at the plaza. Luxury home furnishings brand Restoration Hardware is set to open an RH Outlet in the former U.S. Foods supermarket, taking over 27,854 square feet directly adjacent to Ulta Beauty.
The retailer operates outlets in Vero Beach, Jacksonville and Clearwater, but this will be its first in Central Florida, where it will sell new and returned items at heavy discounts.
“What’s really cool is that the merchandise changes daily,” Rodriguez said. “They have lighting, they have carpets, outdoor furniture, bedding … So I’m really excited about that.”
With these anchor additions underway, leasing agents anticipate that the center’s remaining vacancy will quickly attract new retail interest. The plaza currently has three inline spaces available for lease, ranging from 2,500 square feet to 4,292 square feet. Rodriguez noted that once Ross and RH Outlet open, those vacancies should fill up quickly.
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