Retail in Richmond

[burt]

I could see Bloomingdale's at Regency Square a little more than at Short Pump because the sales are stronger at the Regency Hecht's, but having one at Short Pump fits in with the upscale tenbant mix of the mall better.

You know which mall needs Bloomingdale's?

Edited September 6, 2005 by burt

[wrldcoupe4]

to elaborate on what Burt and Downtowner mentioned....

the 100,000 sf expansion of the Short Pump Town Center will be open soon and feature the following tenants:

Orvis

Saxon Shoes

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa

Eddie Bauer

and unconfirmed space for a unisex clothing store and a home furnishings store which will be released in the coming weeks.

They will link the Cheesecake Factory with western wing bearing Hecht's (Macy's, hopefully Bloomingdales ), H & M and Build-a-Bear Workshop among others.

Only 2,500 sf are not leased in the new expansion yet.

as the Tichmond.com article describes:

"The new structure includes 300 feet of running pools that begin at a newly-designed "well-spring," featuring three huge blocks of granite, and run towards the Cheesecake Factory. The pools also contain smaller blocks of granite, which are intended to create the appearance of running rapids when water rushes over them. Outside the Cheesecake Factory will sit a firepit, where restaurant-goers can warm themselves in the winter months."

pump it up

[burt]

A good location for an urban Target would be the recently demolished block between 4th and 5th on Broad, provided it tastefully topped off several parking levels.

Parking decks CAN be attractive. Two examples: The deck on Franklin between 8th and 9th, and the cleverly disguised deck just west of Ryland on Franklin - across from Beth Ahaba Synagogue. Next time you guys and gals are downtown, take a look at them.

[wrldcoupe4]

I'd actually prefer to see the parking on top of the actual shopping building. .... 2 floors of retail, parking deck on top? Just curious, would it be possible to do lets say a 2 story urban target, topped with ohhhh 3-4 levels of parking, and then condos on top of that??.... give it a nice modern feel as well maybe? and better yet, add a restaurant with terraces and private balconies on the top floor!

Edited September 7, 2005 by wrldcoupe4

[burt]

I'm kinda excited about American Apparel coming to town. What can you tell us about that, Stephen?

I'm very curious as to what shops are going into ground floors of Berry Burk at 6th and Grace and the interesting building just west of it on Grace. Both are being gutted, but there are no signs describing what will inhabit them. They are directly across Grace from Miller & Rhoads.

[burt]

I think a Bass Pro Shop should locate in the River District. How about on the south side of the canal across 14th street from Vistas? There is an interesting rendering of a "proposed" building for the site. And I think there is (or planned) a big parking lot between the flood wall and the river across 14th from Vistas. The parking lot is in a flood zone, but would simply have to be evacuated of cars in high water.

Bass Pro would add to a nice business mix at and near the turning basin - La Difference; Ladybird Toad's Place; Stool Pigeons; Canal Club (which should beautify its Dock street frontage); the venerable Bottoms Up Pizza, and whatever goes on ground floor of Vistas.

.

Edited September 9, 2005 by burt

[StevenRocks]

I'm kinda excited about American Apparel coming to town.  What can you tell us about that, Stephen?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wait. American Apparel is coming to Richmond? I hadn't heard about that at all.

[burt]

Wait.

Edited September 9, 2005 by burt

[wrldcoupe4]

yea what are your thoughts on it man? how about the idea of a coyote ugly in Richmond too?

[StevenRocks]

I guess it caught me by suprise.

AA is a nice store, very hipster-friendly, and they have a unique "no sweatshops" policy for the manufacture of their clothes. They also have some fairly racy advertising, which may take Richmond by surprise.

I've seen their stores in New York and other major cities and I figured they might be on a expansion tic. I think someone on the Charleston threads said they were comg there as well.

If AA comes, it will likely be in the Carytown area or elsewhere downtown, as they prefer to locate in non-mall locations.

Not sure about Coyote Ugly, though hot women dancing on top of bars in Richmond woudn't hurt my feelings.

[wrldcoupe4]

wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit either.... and about the racy advertising... I hope they bombard Richmond with it... These people need to come out of the Richmond cocoon and have some fun!

Awesome news that American Apparel prefers the non-mall store.! Hope we can soon confirm that they will in fact be coming to Richmond

[StevenRocks]

From a retail standpoint, Richmond is bustin' out these days.

At the risk of starting an unsubstantiated rumor, I wonder if Tiffany & Co. is coming to town anytime soon? That's usually a high-water mark for retail in most cities.

[ric75]

Is there some kind of rule now that all mega-chain clubs have to involve hot women dancing on bars? Not that there's anything wrong with it but I guess it just reminds me of Bar in Norfolk. Honestly I'd take a Coyote Ugly over Ramshead anytime. Seemed like it was going to be a little too stuffy.

[wrldcoupe4]

man the ladies of Richmond would clamor for a Tiffany's. There's a lot of money here..... I'd be surprised if at some point Richmond didn't get one

[wrldcoupe4]

definitely something different!

"The local company that has the rights to sell the real John Deere equipment in Virginia recently opened a re-tail store at the Short Pump Town Center selling dozens of John Deere products. It is one of five retail stores that have opened in the U.S. as John Deere products have begun to appeal to a more-affluent consumer.

"We decided we wanted to try this . . . as an experiment to see if the market would accept it and like it," Bertsch Cox, the chief financial officer at James River Equipment, which owns the store, called Green Country.

James River Equipment operates 18 locations in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina selling John Deere products including those for construction, agriculture and lawn and garden.

The Green Country store is on the lower level of the Short Pump mall next to the Build-A-Bear store in the former Wet Seal space........."

John Deere store opens at Short Pump

[StevenRocks]

John Deere store opens at Short Pump

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's phat B)

[burt]

That's phat  B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What does "phat" mean, Steven?

Do you really think the Richmond market could sustain a Tiffany?

[wrldcoupe4]

haha it means 'cool' basically...its young folk talk

[burt]

haha it means 'cool' basically...its young folk talk

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea. Gran'pa thanks you for the translation.

Edited September 12, 2005 by burt

[wrldcoupe4]

....

[StevenRocks]

Do you really think the Richmond market could sustain a Tiffany?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Schwarzschild Jewelers and Adolf Jewelers have proven there's a merket for higher end jewelry in the Richmond market.

I could see either Christian Bernard or Tiffany here at some point.

Edited September 12, 2005 by StevenRocks

[wrldcoupe4]

what's the typical square footage of a tiffany's?

[StevenRocks]

what's the typical square footage of a tiffany's?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Around 5,000 square feet.

[wrldcoupe4]

could that, when the time is right, potentially go downtown? where do their typical stores locate? Malls, urban///?

[StevenRocks]

could that, when the time is right, potentially go downtown? where do their typical stores locate? Malls, urban///?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The typical Tiffany location is in a mall these days. They have stores in enclosed and open-air malls, lifestyle centers and in downtown locations.

The closest Tiffany stores to Richmond are in enclosed malls (King of Prussia, PA, Charlotte) lifestyle malls (Fairfax) or in upscale suburban shopping districts (Chevy Chase, MD).

Where would Tiffany go in Richmond? I'd say Stony Point or Short Pump, with the former ahead by a nose beacuse it's got other compatible luxury stores like Louis Vuitton and Movado. Short Pump already has Schwarzschild's hottest store, so I'm sure they would have some kind of competitive clause in their lease to keep something like Tiffany out. They won't go downtown alone.