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Bealls Opens Store Near Summerfield

Tribune photo by LOIS KINDLE

Hundreds of people waited in the cold for the 9 a.m opening of a new Bealls, Riverview's first department store, at the Summerfield Crossings Plaza.

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By LOIS KINDLE

lkindle@tampatrib.com

Published: February 6, 2009

RIVERVIEW - Hundreds of people lined up in the cold for the grand opening of the community's first major department store today. Within 20 minutes after Bealls' officials celebrated the ribbon cutting at 9 a.m., hundreds more had walked through the doors.

Regional Manager Monique Ritz estimated the crowd at around 500. And the shoppers just kept coming.

"I'm so happy it's here," said Wendy Barnes, a teacher at Summerfield Elementary School. "Now we won't have to go to Brandon for our clothing needs. We've only been through about a quarter of the store, and it appears they have a very nice selection."

"This is just what South Shore needed," added her daughter, Alexandria, a student at the University of South Florida.

Managed by Luke Forté, the 80,000-square-foot store features more name-brand merchandise, larger departments and wider aisles than many of the company's older stores. It is featuring new spring fashions as part of a corporate campaign called Fashion for Real Life.

"It's awesome," said Krystal Mueller of Apollo Beach, wheeling around a cart filled with clothes and a new wall decoration. "I shop all the time at Bealls [in Ruskin]. This store seems to have a lot of different merchandise."

The store is in the Summerfield Crossings Plaza at 13120 U.S. 301 S. For store hours and additional information, call (813) 671-2895.

Lois Kindle can be reached at (813) 865-1553.

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