Retailer Anthropologie opens in Butler Town Center

Original Story: The Gainesville Sun

Anthropologie, a retailer that offers bohemian and chic women’s clothing and accessories, along with home decor and furniture, opens officially in Butler Town Center Wednesday.

Butler Enterprises first announced the retailer would come to the shopping center early last March, with a fall 2020 opening planned.

The shop, at 2850 SW 35th Drive, encompasses 9,000 square feet beside the Noire nail salon and across from the Cheesecake Factory restaurant.

Mary Reichardt, vice president of marketing for Butler Entreprises, said the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the opening because retailers at the time were busy weighing decisions on whether to remain open or close down for a period of time.

“We were able to finish out our build during that time, which worked well for us,” Reichardt said.

She said that bringing Anthropologie — one of the top-ranked clothing and home décor retailers in the country — to Gainesville shows the strength of the local market.

Before Anthropologie arrived in Gainesville, residents had to drive more than 50 miles to the nearest location in Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center. Another two are about 100 miles away in the Orlando area.

Reichardt said one of the goals of Deborah Butler, president of Butler Enterprises, is to bring popular retailers to town so that residents don’t have to travel far to access them.

“It keeps dollars in the local economy, brings local jobs,” Reichardt said.

She said Gainesville residents right now have a “pent-up demand” to shop, and she’s confident that Anthropologie will be able to weather the current economic storm.

“With the hospitals and the thriving university community of professors and students, we can insulate ourselves against severe downward trends,” Reichardt said.

She also said bringing in an anchor store like Anthropologie is likely to help fill in remaining retail spaces with other top-tier tenants.

“We’re excited about that opportunity,” Reichardt said.

The store is open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 12-6 p.m.

Anthropologie was founded in 1992 in Pennsylvania and has since grown to include more than 200 locations worldwide.