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Downtown retail


krazeeboi

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I will rate it as O.K., I would love to see more retail options downtown. Downtown is coming along and once they've finish all the condos we'll probally see a better selection of retail downtown. I'm ready for Cola to have some official stores like Lacoste,Gucci, Sax something to makes us feel important.Instead of making us feel like a spin off city to others. . Sometimes I feel that where the city that just get anything while other cities have nicer and better stores such as Charleston with Outlets and other options. You can defintely tell that tourism is S.C. bread winner because everything is nicer on the coast. More options and bigger names while things are desolent here. I've always found it funny how Cola is S.C.'s biggest city but we get almost everything last.Something needs to be done.

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As far as retailers, Columbia was either the first or second city in the state to snag American Apparel, Ruth's Chris, Sportman's Warehouse, and several other restaurants/retailers. So Columbia is doing better in this regard. I wouldn't expect Lacoste, Gucci, Saks, etc. anytime soon--but then again, it may be sooner than we think.

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It's horrible. I was in NY about two weeks ago and we went to downtown Brooklyn to shop, Harlem, Newark, and there were THOUSANDS of people shopping downtown. I was like WOW. I never seen anything like it. they had so much retail and clothing stores it was endless..Then I came back and there was like 1 or 2 stores I would actually walk in downtown. Maybe one day

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I think people forget that Five Points and the Vista ARE downtown shopping districts. Five Points has at least as many stores, bars and restaurants as most malls; the only thing it lacks is a department store. The Vista has quite a few stores, too. Don't forget that downtown Columbia is more than just Main Street. Go shopping in Five Points on a Saturday and tell me people don't shop in downtown Columbia.

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It's horrible. I was in NY about two weeks ago and we went to downtown Brooklyn to shop, Harlem, Newark, and there were THOUSANDS of people shopping downtown. I was like WOW. I never seen anything like it. they had so much retail and clothing stores it was endless..Then I came back and there was like 1 or 2 stores I would actually walk in downtown. Maybe one day

Hell, any city in the South is going to look horrible compared to NYC (even beloved Charleston)--that comparison isn't fair in the least.

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It's horrible. I was in NY about two weeks ago and we went to downtown Brooklyn to shop, Harlem, Newark, and there were THOUSANDS of people shopping downtown. I was like WOW. I never seen anything like it. they had so much retail and clothing stores it was endless..Then I came back and there was like 1 or 2 stores I would actually walk in downtown. Maybe one day

Thats not really a fair comparison at all. You are talking about a place where just the CITY (and not its metro) has twice the population of our entire state. It has insane population densities. The only place our state has that even remotely compares is Charleston's peninsula.

But everyone else has a great point... Five Points and the Vista ARE downtown shopping districts. They definitely count. And people definitely shop there.

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Thats not really a fair comparison at all. You are talking about a place where just the CITY (and not its metro) has twice the population of our entire state.

Yeah I doubt any city under the mason dixion line can compare to NYC's dowtown retail not even L.A. NYC is the mecca of fashion and design. They test it in NY before it even hits anywhere else in the states. I would love for Columbia's retail scene to grow into anything of it's nature. I think over the next 4-5 yrs Columbia's retail is going to take off.

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Comparing us to what some call "the Capital of the World"??? That's rediculous. ANY city's downtown pales in comparison to NYC.

Your right not even Chicago's retail scene is able to mirror what New Yorks has established of the years. I don't think we'll see any city in our life time able to compete with New Yorks retail and restaruant scene.

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Personally I don't think the downtown retail is worth -_- much. I have been in several of the stores and the best area to me that I might consider down town is the devine street area, which is still very lacking.

I know several of you are against the label stores and prefer mom and pop type specialty store and thats great. But there is a very large group here in Columbia that longs to see those name brand stores here. They don't have to be on the scale of NYC, but Columbia's downtown shopping hasn't even knocked on the door of Charleston's let alone somewhere like Georgetown or NYC.

I think that Columbia can support a H&M, and Lacoste and so forth. :thumbsup: One might say the current retail isnt supported well, but that might simply be due to the fact that wht they sell isn't what the large consumer population wants. Most of the stores downtown cater to people 40+, and we should all know that the strongest buying force in in the younger population, which also makes up the majority of this city's population. I am constantly reminided of how many people actually travel to spend the to atlanta and charlotte to do there shopping which is evident that the need is here. A little store with an unrecognizable name and one or two name brand articles isnt going to attract those in this area with the buying power. Money that could be kept in the Columbia area to help this city become better is constantly given away to ATl and CLT. I think it is past time for a change.

And on the subject of restaurants, well we all can tell that people here love to eat well. That to me would be motivation enough for any upscale or national restaurants to want to ome here.

Finally as a disclaimer, :whistling: I am fully aware of al the "wonderful" stores in Columbia, I have been here for a very long time, so there is no need for anyone to began to list all the places that they feel are great or upscale on my behalf. I personally dont care for many of them. And those that I do, I support...(usually when I need a tailored suit).

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I think that Columbia can support a H&M, and Lacoste and so forth. :thumbsup: One might say the current retail isnt supported well, but that might simply be due to the fact that wht they sell isn't what the large consumer population wants. Most of the stores downtown cater to people 40+, and we should all know that the strongest buying force in in the younger population, which also makes up the majority of this city's population. I am constantly reminided of how many people actually travel to spend the to atlanta and charlotte to do there shopping which is evident that the need is here. A little store with an unrecognizable name and one or two name brand articles isnt going to attract those in this area with the buying power. Money that could be kept in the Columbia area to help this city become better is constantly given away to ATl and CLT. I think it is past time for a change.

That's very very very true. I can attest to going to Atlanta for more options.

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The thing is that most of the major national brands will be far more likely to locate out in the 'burbs than downtown. Look at Charlotte as an example. The city has a lot of retail options (most notably SouthPark Mall), but Uptown is sorely lacking in that regard. The upside is that more residential is coming downtown, so that contributes to a critical mass forming, and then the stores will follow. The fact of the matter is that Columbia is neither a big city (although growing) or a wealthy city (but not poor either), so some of the desired stores simply will not be coming anytime soon. And if they do, they'll probably be located in Columbiana, the Village at Sandhill, or maybe the new Richland Mall (Midtown something-or-other).

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Simply because Charlotte doesn't have alot of downtown retail doesn't mean that Columbia has to model after it. -_- Charleston has dt retail. Generally my needs would be satiated by simply haveing some of my desired stores in the Columbia area. Also, personally I don't consider H&M, Lacoste to be expensive. :whistling: But I am happy that the area is getting a coach store. :yahoo: Maybe that will entice other missing brands to open locations in the Columbia area.

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Simply because Charlotte doesn't have alot of downtown retail doesn't mean that Columbia has to model after it. -_- Charleston has dt retail. Generally my needs would be satiated by simply haveing some of my desired stores in the Columbia area. Also, personally I don't consider H&M, Lacoste to be expensive. :whistling: But I am happy that the area is getting a coach store. :yahoo: Maybe that will entice other missing brands to open locations in the Columbia area.

I've been in several Lacoste stores and they carry no more Lacoste merchandise than the typical department store. What difference does it make?

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Simply because Charlotte doesn't have alot of downtown retail doesn't mean that Columbia has to model after it. -_-

The point that I was making was that the more desired brands would more than likely locate out in the 'burbs rather than downtown, and that if Charlotte, a larger city with more people residing downtown and a higher per capita income than Columbia, is struggling in this regard, then it will certainly be an uphill battle for Columbia.

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