South Florida

Shopping is changing in South Florida. Here are 3 takeaways

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

Shopping in South Florida is shifting as malls adapt, new stores open and longstanding names like Sears fade away.

See our recent coverage below.

An aerial view of Carsten Höller’s 93-foot glass-and-steel slide, and Robert Indiana’s “Love” sculpture on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. The visual welcomes visitors to Aventura Mall, one of the largest and most popular shopping centers in the United States. By MATIAS J. OCNER

NO. 1: WHY IS AVENTURA MALL BOTH LOVED AND LOATHED? IT COMES DOWN TO MORE THAN SHOPPING

Mall owner reveals ‘secret sauce’ to the success after 40 years. | Published December 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Howard Cohen

Coral Gables’ Behar Font Partners’ artistic rendering of a proposed 8.12-acre mixed use development for 3655 SW 22nd Street. That is where a Sears store has been located since 1959. The site plan was approved by Miami in April 2025. That doesn’t guarantee the project will move forward.

NO. 2: LAST SEARS STORE IN SOUTH FLORIDA COULD DISAPPEAR. HERE ARE THE PLANS

What to know about the future of the site. | Published May 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Howard Cohen

Brickell City Centre signs on new shops and boutiques. Above: Pedestrians walk outside Brickell City Centre in Miami in January 2020. By MATIAS J. OCNER

NO. 3: NEW STORES ARE OPENING AT TWO MALLS IN MIAMI’S BRICKELL AREA. SEE WHAT’S COMING

Ready to shop? | Published July 3, 2025 | Read Full Story by Howard Cohen

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.