When a Miami-based joint venture group announced it had acquired Fort Lauderdale’s aging Galleria Mall for a sweeping redevelopment project, the developers made one thing clear: they wanted to preserve and expand the retail portion of the mall to accompany an ambitious nine-tower residential segment with thousands of residents.
Enter Wayfair, the online Boston-based home furnishings retailer that is now in the midst of building brick-and-mortar outlets in urban areas showing future growth.
The company last week announced that Fort Lauderdale is one of a half-dozen sites around the U.S. where it believes the growth prospects are bright. The store would be the Wayfair’s first in Florida and would join Macy’s, Dillard’s and Apple as one of the mall’s more sizable, prominent tenants.
“As we continue to grow our retail footprint, entering Florida with a namesake store is an exciting next step for Wayfair,” Liza Lefkowski, vice president of merchandising and stores at Wayfair, said in a statement. “Galleria Fort Lauderdale’s transformation creates an ideal setting for us to introduce our in-store experience to a new community of customers.”
The proposed buildout would be quick. Management’s intention is to open in late 2027. The location would cover “approximately 94,000 square feet across two levels,” according to the statement.
“This is an exciting time as Galleria Fort Lauderdale advances its visionary plan to revitalize one hundred percent of the cherished mall with sought-after retail brands, while also creating an upscale urban environment with residential offerings,” said Sandeep Mathrani, managing partner of Atlas Hill Real Estate, one of the mall’s joint venture partners. “Wayfair will be an anchor to the redevelopment of Galleria Fort Lauderdale, and a perfect fit for how we are envisioning the transformation of this center.”
A 2025 rendering is shown of the proposed Galleria Mall mixed-use redevelopment in Fort Lauderdale. The mall is now scheduled to add a 94,000-square-foot Wayfair home furnishings store in 2027. (Architectonica/Courtesy)
Ready-made future market
For a retailer such as Wayfair, the proposed Galleria development looms as a ready-made, walking-distance market for its products.
The mall’s joint venture owners plan to build 3,144 rental apartments among nine 30-story towers on the 31.5-acre site on East Sunrise Boulevard, just west of the Intracoastal Waterway. A total of 1,273 apartments would be reserved for workforce housing over 30 years.
A 170-room hotel also would be included in the mixed-use development, as well as new shops and restaurants.
A total of 675,968 square feet in commercial space would be retained, according to an initial proposal from the developers filed last year with the city. New uses covering an additional 127,966 square feet would include health and fitness, retail and restaurants. There would be an additional 856 square feet of outdoor dining.
An overview of Wayfair’s product inventory suggests it has something for almost anyone looking to populate their residences with furnishings that mirror Florida’s coastal lifestyle.
“The store will feature products and design inspiration that align with the region’s coastal aesthetic, indoor-outdoor living and year-round entertaining,” Wayfair said in its statement. “Many items will be available for immediate take-home, while larger pieces such as sofas, dining sets and outdoor furniture can be delivered fast and free through Wayfair’s best-in-class logistics network.”
Roots in e-commerce
Founded in 2002 and based in Boston, Wayfair is a publicly traded company engaged primarily in the e-commerce business in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere internationally. It offers furniture, décor, housewares, and home improvement products online under banners that include Wayfair, Joss & Main, AllModern, Birch Lane, Perigold, and Wayfair Professional.
The planned Fort Lauderdale store at the Galleria would be a future eastern anchor of a proposed redevelopment whose sheer size has stunned many local residents and city officials. Many critics have voiced hopes that the owners might shrink the project’s scope. But the owners have seized upon the opportunity presented by state’s Live Local Act, which allows for expedited approvals of new developments if they contain affordable housing. The Galleria’s planned makeover contains precisely those elements.
The office of the state attorney general has issued an opinion that the project does comport with the requirements under the act, and may move forward.
Bricks-and-mortar: A new frontier
It is only in recent years that Wayfair has added physical stores to its sales and distribution scheme. After more than two decades of doing business mainly online, management now sees opportunities for selling via stores in urban areas where populations are expanding.
The Fort Lauderdale outlet would be Wayfair’s sixth announced store in the nation since 2024. The company has stores in Wilmette, Illinois, outside of Chicago, and in Atlanta. The latter opened last year.
Locations in Columbus, Ohio, and in Denver are opening this year.
A store in Yonkers, New York, a short distance north of New York City, would join the expected Fort Lauderdale opening in 2027.