True Synergy
Ocean Walk Shoppes offers a string of support for tenants.
Lindsay Sport

Ocean Walk Shoppes is a 6-story, 110,000-square-foot retail development in Daytona Beach, Florida.

In the current economy, every move counts. Retailers and retail developments alike must rely on well thought-out and properly executed strategies to secure their fates. As tenants, owners and managers may be tempted to adopt the “every man for himself” attitude in this economic free-for-all, the unavoidable truth remains — one cannot succeed without the success of the other. That’s why Colliers Arnold and Carlsberg Management have teamed up once again to create a unique partnership within Daytona Beach, Florida’s Ocean Walk Shoppes. In their partnership, the team has worked to develop a strong, cooperative relationship between tenants and owners, creating true synergy and giving every player what it needs to survive.

“Colliers and Carlsberg have developed a team approach to really promoting the center and making a retailer successful,” says Bill Geary, president of Carlsberg Management Company. “I think what we’ve done is a new form of management of lifestyle and entertainment centers as far as very aggressively helping the retailers.”

Ocean Walk Shoppes is a 6-story, 110,000-square-foot retail development located within Ocean Walk Village, a $1 billion, federally registered district in Daytona Beach. In addition to the Shoppes, the Village houses high-traffic destinations including Ocean Center, a 225,000-square-foot convention center; Peabody Auditorium, a performing arts center; Daytona Lagoon, a water park; and more than 1,500 hotel, timeshare and condo units, all along a 6-block radius directly on the Atlantic Ocean. The property also boasts several historic landmarks, such as the historic Bandshell, a concrete entertainment structure built in 1936, which is located directly in front of Ocean Walk Shops. Ocean Walk Village was developed by a group of developers, including Carlsberg Management, and Carlsberg has maintained ownership and management of Ocean Walk Shoppes to implement their focused, collaborative approach at the center.

The center is anchored by a 20,562-square-foot R/C Theater, Ocean Walk 10 Movies.

“We are partners with the tenants and we work from all aspects to help drive traffic to the destination,” says Pamela Rudd, group marketing director for Carlsberg Management Company. According to Rudd, the team works actively with travel agencies to bring tourists to the area, sponsors free events at the Bandshell to attract visitors and provides a multitude of print media to support grand openings or any special events tenants may have.

“It’s a three-tier relationship,” Geary adds. “First, the retailer does its own marketing. Then, we market the retailer, and then Ocean Walk Village spends about $180,000 marketing its area as well. So retailers get three times the promotion that they would normally get at another center.”

The Colliers Arnold and Carlsberg Management team goes beyond just marketing their retailers, and actually works with retailers to help them understand the market. The team provides tenants with a calendar of events and information detailing the influx of people entering the area so that retailers can be better prepared with inventory and staffing. They also provide tenants with occupancy information and group information from the local hotels in order for retailers to better team up with hoteliers to utilize group sales.

“Normally in a shopping center, the landlord just sits there and lets the retailer do whatever they can do, but we don’t do that. We look at sales figures, and if they’re not up to par, we go to the retailer and say, ‘What can we do to help you?’ I think that’s fairly unique for smaller entertainment centers, and it’s been very successful,” explains Geary.

In addition to the support provided by Colliers Arnold and Carlsberg Management, tenants are predisposed for success from the center demographic itself. Located within Ocean Walk Village, the Shoppes reap all the benefits of a key tourist destination. At least 9 months of the year, major events bring approximately 9 million tourists to the immediate Daytona Beach area. With events such as two NASCAR races, two Bike Weeks, Spring Break, the National Cheerleading Association’s nationally televised competition, to name a few, along with seasonal family vacationers, Ocean Walk Shoppes is at the epicenter. The development is located conveniently between two hotels, the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort and the Wyndham Ocean Walk, placing many guests within walking distance of the center’s varied retail, restaurant and entertainment options. 

Ocean Walk Shoppes reaps all the benefits of a key tourist destination. At least 9 months of the year, major events bring approximately 9 million tourists to the immediate Daytona Beach area.

Current retailers at the site include Maui Nix Surf Shop, Sunglass Hut, Daytona Beach Candle Gallery, Bath Junkie and I Love Jewelry. Restaurants at the site include Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Mai Tai Bar, Coldstone Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Santora’s Pizza and Wings, Caribongo and Quizno’s. The center is also anchored by a 50,000-square-foot R/C Theater, Ocean Walk 10 Movies, which is one of the newest theaters in the area.

“Of the 9 million that come to Daytona Beach, we are the place to be for dining, shopping and entertainment,” says Bill Fraser, senior retail specialist for Colliers Arnold Commercial Real Estate Services. “Virtually our entire team of tenants has achieved higher sales volumes than first projected.”

With a family focus, Ocean Walk Shoppes’ beachfront location provides about 1 mile of Daytona Beach’s only traffic-free beach. “We are a family oriented destination, so of course, families out on the beach can enjoy a traffic-free beach where they are a lot safer and the parents can actually relax,” says Rudd. Each year, the city also hosts approximately 75 free concerts and performances at the Bandshell, making it a high-energy place for both tourists and locals.

Though the center was opened in 2003, Ocean Walk Shoppes remains a bustling retail environment. “If you understand entertainment complexes, you realize that they usually have a 5-year lifespan, meaning that every tenant does fine in the first year, increases in the second, but after that 5-year term, there’s always something newer being developed, and the center becomes old news. We are going into our seventh year at Ocean Walk Shoppes, and our tenants are still going strong,” Fraser says.

Ocean Walk Shoppes is located within Ocean Walk Village, a $1 billion, federally registered district in Daytona Beach.

On the surface, Ocean Walk Shoppes has a lot to offer tenants — great location, dense retail traffic and quality tenants. However, it’s the dedication shown to retailers by the team of Colliers Arnold and Carlsberg Management that really makes the difference. Their unique relationship and support of their tenants, but their success goes to show that such a focus is key in any development.

“I think the proof is in the pudding,” Geary says. “In the last year, sales from our stores that have been open one year were up 6.5 percent. That’s pretty good considering what’s going on in the world today.”

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