Today
South Coast Plaza continuously brings in approximately 24 million visitors annually. The shopping center has about 2.8 million square feet (260,000 m²) of gross leasable area and over 250 stores, making it one of the largest shopping centers in the United States. Its stores generate revenue of nearly 1.5 billion dollars per year, making it the highest grossing center in the United States.
In 2004, South Coast Plaza received the Federal Trademark as "The Ultimate Shopping Resort".
Many ultra-luxury brands, which have very few boutiques nationwide, have chosen South Coast Plaza as one of their few (and for some brands, their only) store locations. Zara made its debut in the California market opening their first California store in South Coast Plaza in 2004. In 2005, French luxury design house Chloé opted to open their second United States boutique at South Coast Plaza. As of Fall 2008, this is still the only southern California location, with Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills notably absent. Watch Manufacturer Rolex opened their flagship U.S. location at South Coast Plaza. Purveyor of modern furniture Room & Board also opened a 40,000 square foot showroom in 2002.
Many larger luxury brand stores gather here as well, with some, such as Harry Winston, Tiffany's, Cartier, Calypso Christiane Celle, Montblanc, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Prada, Dior, Valentino, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Hermès, Christian Louboutin, Barneys New York Co-Op, and Nordstrom reporting their location at South Coast as having the highest sales in the United States.
The shopping center also features restaurants such as Lawry's Carvery, Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdales, and Vie De France as opposed to a food court. Additionally, features such as valet parking, concierge services, access lounge and even courtesy umbrellas or hot beverage service continue to highlight the upscale nature of the mall.
Since 2007, South Coast Plaza has held "Fashion Plates", an annual 10-day Restaurant Week-like promotion of its high-end restaurants at discounted rates.
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