provided to The Santiva Chronicle
Chico’s has reopened its store in the Periwinkle Place shopping center on Sanibel Island, where it was founded in 1983 as a small boutique of folk-art inspired styles – found-treasures brought back from around the world. Until one universally flattering sweater made it famous.
Chico’s Marketing Senior Vice President Leana Less cuts the ribbon Thursday, Jan. 11 to celebrate the opening of Chico’s Sanibel, after being closed for more than a year due to severe damage from Ian.
Chico’s has been a part of the fabric of Southwest Florida for 40 years, and the reopening of its original store symbolizes the resolve of the community to rebuild after one of the worse storms to make landfall in U.S. history – Hurricane Ian. The company celebrated Thursday, Jan. 11 with a ribbon cutting ceremony, during which a new black and bronze plaque was unveiled as a tribute to the original island store.
“As Chico’s reflects on the recovery efforts since Hurricane Ian struck in September of 2022, we recall the devastation, hurt, and hopelessness that washed over the Southwest Florida community within the blink of an eye,” said Marketing Senior Vice President Leana Less. “The Chico’s corporate headquarters in Fort Myers quickly responded to aid employees, customers, and the community.”
Within 24 hours of the storm, the Chico’s headquarters was transformed into the home base for more than 1,000 essential workers, including American Red Cross Disaster Relief and Power and Light teams, who used it for two months as they worked to restore power and infrastructure.
Chico’s also quickly pulled together recovery services for its more than 1,400 associates impacted by the storm, including an Employee Disaster Relief Fund to aid with personal, family and temporary living expenses. Chico’s additionally set up group wellness “Let’s Talk” session to prioritize mental health.
“As devastating as the storm was, it gave us an opportunity to show up for each other in a meaningful way,” said Less.
Chico’s Associates
Additionally, the brand created a program where customers could donate their loyalty points to the Red Cross, to which more than 4,500 customers have donated nearly 5 million points.
“We are proud of the recovery efforts, the resiliency of our customers, our employees and our brands,” said Less. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our team, we reopened three of our top stores in Naples last June and are thrilled to be here (Thursday) celebrating the reopening of our original Sanibel store. This is an exciting milestone.”
The badly damaged store underwent a complete renovation. Its interior design was infused with a modern, coastal aesthetic with an open floor plan for clear sight-lines and spacious merchandise displays throughout for a welcoming and user-friendly shopping environment.
The grand staircase, itself lined with painted millwork to serve as a wall gallery, leads to an intimate Soma shop-in-shop with a dedicated fitting area.
The store’s design also pays tribute to the brand’s history by featuring heritage furniture from the original location, including a handmade chair Founder Marvin Gralnick built, and iconic Chico’s fashion styles. The original sign was salvaged from the storm-damaged store and now proudly stands at the top of the grand staircase.
Chico’s Sanibel, 2075 Periwinkle Way, Ste. 4, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
That’s where I was first introduced to Chico’s in the late 80’s. They had a style that stood out from the rest and I loved it. So happy for them to reopen after all the devastation…hope to visit again soon.