Port St. Lucie will be the home of a new Stein Mart, featuring affordable name-brand fashion and home accessories. The popular discount store will be located at 1733 Northwest St. Lucie West Boulevard in Town Center at St. Lucie West. Stein Mart's grand opening will be Thursday, August 21 at 10:00 a.m.

"Treasure Coast residents are loyal Stein Mart shoppers," said Linda M. Farthing, president and chief executive officer of Stein Mart, Inc. "They enjoy finding high-quality merchandise presented in an upscale shopping environment at great values every day. We're pleased to make shopping at Stein Mart even more convenient with this location in Port St. Lucie," said Farthing.

The 32,000 square foot store will offer an assortment of discounted current-season, moderate to better fashion apparel for women and men, as well as accessories, gifts, linens, and shoes. Shoppers will enjoy the convenience of finding exactly what they want at prices competitive with off-price retailers, presented in an uncluttered, elegantly appointed store, right in their own neighborhood.

Stein Mart stores are known for being a great place to discover unique merchandise not found at other department stores at outstanding values. In addition to many famous national brands, Stein Mart also features the latest in women's social occasion apparel from ladies' designer Victor Costa, stylish menswear from Alan Flusser, and home décor, bedding, bath accessories and more from internationally-known designer/decorator Nina Campbell.

Stein Mart's proprietary brands include Peck & Peck, long known for offering classic fashion for women; T. Harris-London, an American take on traditional English menswear; André Oliver, a French-inspired ladies collection; and Isabella DeMarco, influenced by Italian design and styled for today's businesswoman. These proprietary labels offer Stein Mart customers unique, current-season items of quality that she won't find anywhere else.

"Stein Mart generally purchases from many of the same vendors as department stores. Merchandise is tailored to Stein Mart's specifications, ensuring styles that best suit our customers," explained Farthing.

The cornerstone of Stein Mart, the Boutique, is a special department focused on delivering personal customer service. The store-within-a-store concept offers Ladies' merchandise with the presentation, quality, and service found in specialty boutique shops. The Boutique is staffed by women who work part-time and serve as personal shoppers, assisting customers in putting together an outfit from head to toe. These women are both civically and socially active within their communities and reflect the diversity of the community. The concept is unique to Stein Mart-no other retailer offers this program. Boutique services are offered at no cost.

We are seeking outstanding women to join our Boutique Team to work the equivalent of one day per week for hourly pay plus a generous discount. Boutique Ladies act as personal shoppers to help customers make selections, color coordinate, and accessorize, while providing excellent customer service and promoting Stein Mart to their personal and professional contacts. Those who are involved in the community, have a flair for fashion, and are interested in business development, please contact Jocelyn Thompson at 1-800-334-6915, ext. 5506.

Charity Benefit to be Held:

Stein Mart will host a ticketed pre-grand opening event at the new store on Tuesday, August 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. benefiting the PACE Center for Girls, Treasure Coast.

Those who purchase a ticket will have the opportunity to shop in the new store two days before the general public in a fun atmosphere while enjoying catered hors d'oeuvres. Guests will have numerous chances to win a variety of door prizes and will receive a special gift for attending the event.

Tickets are $10 per person and may be ordered by calling Lorie Culbertson at 772-595-8880, ext. 33 or by e-mailing her at lorie.culbertson@pacecenter.org. Tickets also will be available at the new Stein Mart store the night of the event.

About Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT):

Stein Mart stores offer the fashion merchandise, service and presentation of a better department or specialty store, at prices competitive with off-price retail chains. Currently with locations from California to New York, Stein Mart's focused assortment of merchandise features moderate to better fashion apparel for women and men, as well as accessories, gifts, linens and shoes. From a single store in Mississippi in the early 1900s, Stein Mart has expanded to more than 280 stores in 31 states. The current chairman, Jay Stein, is the grandson of the founder, Sam Stein. For more information on Stein Mart, please visit steinmart.com.

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