Organic groceries are coming to Aventura and more retail news

Another big-format organic grocer will soon be competing for customers in South Florida.

Plum Market, a Michigan-based chain that plans to branch out across the country, is set to open in Aventura on Nov. 2, according to the company’s website.

The store will open in a 22,600 square foot space at Aventura Plaza at 278012 Biscayne Blvd., about 3 miles south of Hallandale Beach. The plaza, built in 1972, is also home to Ace Hardware, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, and My Gym Aventura, among others.

Like other grocers in the organic category, Plum Market markets itself as specializing in locally grown organic and dairy products, vegetarian-fed meats, sustainably-raised seafood, artisan cheeses, baked goods daily fresh and a wide selection of “hard-to-find” wines. , beer and spirits.

In a press release posted on its website, the real estate company that negotiated the store’s lease said the Aventura site was chosen after a 2.5-year search for a “good-sized space” accessible to the target customer. of the company.

[ RELATED: Old Town grocer Plum Market alleges it is being pushed out in a ‘quiet, back-door agreement’  ]

Plum Market CEO and Co-Founder Matt Jonna said, “Florida is one of our most in-demand markets. We have an integrated community of Midwesterners who spend their winters in the Miami area. They know our brand, they know our quality and they want to rely on our services all year round.

Plum Market operates three types of businesses. Only four of its full-service large-format flagships, like the one planned for Aventura, are currently operating in Michigan. A store in the center of Chicago’s Old Town opened in 2013 and closed in June after its owner decided to lease the space to a competitor.

But alongside the Aventura store, the company plans to open full-size stores in Hollywood, California, and Washington, DC.

Seven are smaller-format “Plum Market Kitchen” locations offering casual dining choices and take-out selections. These are located in a variety of locations, including major airports, college campuses, or mixed-use urban shopping centers in Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Indiana.

And the company also operates catering services for 12 major employers in the Detroit metro area.

Victor George Spirits, a black-owned distiller building a major attraction on Fort Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk Boulevard corridor, announced a distribution deal with Breakthru Beverages, one of the nation’s largest liquor distributors.

Victor George Spirits was launched in 2020 by former rapper Victor G. Harvey. Its first brand, Victor George Vodka, is promoted as a “clean and smooth” drink with a “silky taste” that leaves drinkers free of hangovers and headaches.

In July, the company launched Fort Mosé 1738 Bourbon, named after the country’s first free black settlement located three kilometers from Saint-Augustin.

Victor George vodka, sold in 45 states, is already available at several South Florida restaurants and nightclubs, as well as Total Wine, Crown Wine and Spirits, Primo Liquors and other retail stores.

Harvey expects the new distribution deal to make the brands available “much more widely”.

“We are currently engaged in sales planning discussions to develop this strategy,” he said by email.

In January, the company acquired a stake in Palm Beach Distillery in West Palm Beach, where the products are made. Capacity has been increased at the distillery “to be sure to meet expected demands,” Harvey said.

Meanwhile, the company plans to open an 18,000 square foot lounge, restaurant, distillery, rooftop patio and cigar bar this summer on Sistrunk Boulevard and Northwest 10th Terrace in Fort Lauderdale. In November, the project received $2.45 million from the city’s Community Development Agency as part of an ongoing effort to revitalize the commercial corridor.

[ RELATED: Retail Roundup: Kosher grocery taking over former Publix site in Boynton Beach, Popeye’s coming to Coral Springs ]

Edgewell Personal Care Company has recalled three lots of a Banana Boat brand sunscreen spray after it found benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, in the product.

Benzene was detected by the manufacturer in six-ounce aerosol cans of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Spray SPF 30 with lot code numbers 20016AF, 200848F, and 21139AF. Anyone with these products should stop using them and throw them away. More information and refund tips are available at bananaboat.com.

The benzene is not used to make the product but likely entered the packaging during the manufacturing process, Edgewell said in a press release.

There is no known safe level for human exposure to benzene, which can occur through inhalation, through the mouth, and through the skin. Benzene can potentially lead to cancers, including leukemia, bone marrow blood cancer, and life-threatening blood disorders.

No other Banana Boat products or batches of hair and scalp spray were affected, the company said.

Retail jewelry chain Kay Jewelers is celebrating the grand opening of its newly renovated store in the Aventura Mall on Thursday, August 18, from 5-7 p.m.

[ RELATED: Retail Roundup: Party supply store opens first of six South Florida spots, pottery studio relocates, new Boca mall stores ]

At the event, shoppers will be able to experience new in-store services, digital features and the latest jewelry collections.

Aventura Mall is located at 19501 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 1793.

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Already well known for its same-day deliveries from its warehouses, online retailer Amazon is launching same-day deliveries of products from other stores.

This month, Amazon unveiled a pilot program in 10 metro areas, including South Florida, to deliver products from participating retailers’ stores.

But the list of participating retailers is short: GNC, seller of health and nutrition products; PacSun, a clothing and accessories retailer for teens and young adults; Italian clothing retailer Diesel; and Superdry, another clothing seller targeting young adults.

[ RELATED: Retail Roundup: Broward Meat & Fish, flashy boxing and designer handbags all coming to new South Florida locations ]

In South Florida, same-day delivery is only available from the PacSun location in Boca Raton and a Diesel location in Miami, according to Amazon’s website.

Amazon promises to add more retailers and more cities to its same-day service in the coming months. Next stop: Sur La Table, seller of high-end kitchen and catering supplies, and 100% Pure, offering all-natural beauty products.

For more information, visit amazon.com.samedaystore.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Send him your retail news on rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.