A bloomin' onion, but a shattered greenhouse. (retail industry setbacks in Tampa Bay Area) (Economic Review) (Industry Overview)

Retailers say they're relieved 1991 is over. It was one of the toughest years on record in the Tampa Area: old standbys disappeared and new concepts failed. In the gloom and doom, however, some fresh faces emerged and old favorites hung on.

Go, Go, Rooms to Go. In March, Rooms To Go stormed into the Bay Area's furniture retailing business. Within six months the chain opened 12 stores, five in the Tampa Bay area. The company also plans to move its headquarters to Tampa and build a distribution center that could employ up to 300.

Its strategy -- selling coordinated rooms of furniture at a discount -- enlivened an already-competitive local furnishings market. The …