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THE SEA. MIST SHOPPES PROPOSAL 10. The Sea Mist Shoppes Development is essentially a strip shopping mall anchored by a 27,860 foot Publix supermarket. Publix is a very successful, privately held, supermarket chain that conducts business in many Florida cities. No other chain in the U.S. has as many dominant (very large market shares) positions in local markets as Publix.' The chain's merchandising, store format, and general marketing strategy are not consistent with the Indian River County Limited Commercial zoning designation with its requirement to serve convenience retail and service needs and to serve area residents needs. The Publix Southeast Division serves the Miami marketing area which includes Indian River County.' The division operates 149 supermarkets. That total includes 21 combination (very large food and drug) stores, 111 super stores (over 30,000 square feet) and only 17 conventional supermarkets. These Publix stores average 12 checkout stations per store. Although Progressive Grocer does not give the average size of these Publix stores, the Winn Dixie, Miami Division operates a much larger proportion of conventional supermarkets (94 out of 136 supermarkets with all others being superstores), and its supermarkets average 39,000 square feet. Publix stores must, on average, be much larger. The proposed Sea Mist Publix is clearly smaller than nearly all Publix supermarkets operating in the Miami area, but as part of the chain store system it will, for efficient management and operation, be essentially operated like the larger Publix stores. The convenience retail and service needs of the area residents will not be satisfied. This type of supermarket is designed to satisfy major food shopping trips for bulky and storable food products and nonfood products, as well as fresh, perishable, and specialty food and service items. It will not satisfy the quick in and quick out convenience service needs of area residents. 11. The site location characteristics of this proposal are highly questionable from an economic perspective. Sea Mist Shoppes essentially locates a small superstore or very large conventional supermarket on a long narrow island at the south end of residential development in the county. The trading area for this supermarket, is very limited by water to the east and west, and must extend several miles North and South, outside of the South Beach "area", to capture sufficient customers. According to the 1990 U.S. Census South Beach area population is 2,856. The Indian River County Comprehensive Plan estimates total resident and seasonal population for the South Beach area to be 4,083 in 1990 and 4,707 in 1995.' The fluctuation in Barrier Island population is probably significantly greater than the difference between these numbers with the summer (6 months) population being much lower than the census population estimate as legal resident "snow birds" go north for the summer. Consequently the South Beach "area" does not come close to providing a sufficient customer base for the proposed supermarket. Given the 'Metro Market Studies, Grocery Distribution Guide: 1994 Edition, Wellesley Hills, Mass., 1994. 'Progressive Grocer, 1994 Marketing Guidebook, Trade Dimensions: Stanford, CT., 1993 P. 338346. The following data in this paragraph are from this source. 91ndian River County Comprehensive Plan, p. 32. 32 BOOK fF July 12, 1994 I