The State of Downtown Retail

[vicupstate]

4 hours ago, btoy said:

They have been taking bids on their high rise for the last month and have been marketing it as a redevelopment site.

So would they leave the building completely or remain as a tenant for whoever buys it?

Is it big enough to be a replacement for County Square (250k SF)?  

The acreage of surface parking could be very valuable just by itself. 

 

[SVL]

Misos on Main is closed. 

https://www.facebook.com/MisosonMain/

Good news is they are just relocating up near Furman.

[SVL]

Crepe du Jour opening soon

https://www.facebook.com/authenticfrenchcreperie/?ref=py_c

[gman430]

Another national retailer heading downtown: https://upstatebusinessjournal.com/news/macys-owned-bluemercury-open-greenvilles-pink-building/ They're a Sephora competitor and are owned by Macy's: https://www.macysinc.com/bluemercury/

Edited March 24, 2017 by gman430

[GvilleSC]

I hate their awnings. Hopefully that element gets denied by the DRB. 

[vicupstate]

14 minutes ago, GvilleSC said:

I hate their awnings. Hopefully that element gets denied by the DRB. 

It is just a standard awning. Is it the color you have an issue with?

[sptgguy]

While I will always be happy to see new business coming to Main St., I wish we could break the trend of high end/boutique stores. Main St. has become of corridor of high end and overly expensive stores. I totally understand that the companies are doing their research and bringing in what will work, but it is making downtown feel more and more unapproachable IMO. 

[PuppiesandKittens]

I think that downtown's retail resurgence is amazing and really wonderful (and, as someone who grew up in Greenville and never went downtown to shop as a child because there was nothing there, completely unexpected).  

How many downtowns, especially downtowns of mid-sized cities, have such in-demand stores?  Anthropologie, Bluemercury, Brooks Bros., Lululemon, etc. are all A-list stores that so often are just in high-end malls.

I am so grateful to city leadership (both public and private) for having turned downtown into such an attractive and vibrant place.  Never would have imagined it.

Of all of Greenville's malls, Haywood is the only one that I have never really cared for, so I'm so glad that downtown gives us another viable option for good shopping.

[GvilleSC]

3 hours ago, vicupstate said:

It is just a standard awning. Is it the color you have an issue with?

No. The vibrant blue is fine. 

I don't like the fact that they're so low and bulky. They are covering up a rather nice facade/windows. If they went with awnings that have open sides, or something with a different profile, it would be more acceptable. They don't need it to protect you while entering the store-- the door is setback and provides you with protection from the elements. It's just branding, and thus could be done in a less invasive manner, while still being present. Something more subtle like the red awnings on the old Breakwater building would be an awesome alternative.

[gman430]

1 hour ago, sptgguy said:

While I will always be happy to see new business coming to Main St., I wish we could break the trend of high end/boutique stores. Main St. has become of corridor of high end and overly expensive stores. I totally understand that the companies are doing their research and bringing in what will work, but it is making downtown feel more and more unapproachable IMO. 

I see what you're saying but I think the reason national and regional high-end stores are a viable option downtown is due to the high rent rates. They are able to afford it while a lot of small mom and pop stores aren't unfortunately.

[sptgguy]

56 minutes ago, gman430 said:

I see what you're saying but I think the reason national and regional high-end stores are a viable option downtown is due to the high rent rates. They are able to afford it while a lot of small mom and pop stores aren't unfortunately.

That is something I agree with and hate to see happening. The rent on "Main Street" from the Hyatt to the river is crazy. The crazy prices is one of the reasons I am a huge supporter of retail spaces in as many of the new developments as possible. The mom and pop/local shops should not be shoved to the outskirts. I think it would be an interesting move is Greenville were to copy what Spartanburg has done...paid the rent and helped with start up costs for local businesses who want to be in the downtown area. While all of the businesses  in Spartanburg did not survive, many are still open and doing well. 

[PuppiesandKittens]

High rents on Main Street = more money available to keep buildings in first-rate condition and stores that do enough business to pay the high rents.

Those are both very good things.

Main Street had low rents in the '80s, and the stores consisted of a wig shop, Woolworth's, a few OK locally-owned stores and not much more, and the buildings were dilapidated.

We don't want that again.

[sptgguy]

High rents on main street do mean there is more money available..but I think the rents that are being charged now are a problem. To compare where we are now to where we have come from in the 80s is a bit of a stretch. Main Street hasn't been like that in well over a decade. I would much rather have a better collection of decent locally owned stores mixed with national brands than what main street is quickly becoming...a high end/out door mall. This is only my opinion, but I fear that there will no longer be room at the table for everyone on main street if things continue to go the direction they are going. 

[PuppiesandKittens]

It takes a lot less work to get locally-owned stores into a downtown area than it does to get higher-end national chains, as nearly every Southern downtown will attest.

Greenville's leadership has worked for 35+ years to get downtown where it is now.  I am extremely grateful to them--and to the national chains' site selection teams for picking downtown--for having given Greenville a downtown that I'm glad to show others, and where I can spend enjoyable afternoons instead of at Haywood.

There is a need for locally-owned stores downtown, and I am confident that as national chains draw more and more shoppers downtown, the spillover effect will lead to more retail space being opened up for the locally-owned stores (both due to retrofits of existing buildings on side streets and new construction).  It's like the Starbucks effect: before Starbucks, there were very few decent coffee shops around; Starbucks hasn't killed off independent ones, but rather it's created more of a demand for good coffee, resulting in additional independent stores, too.

[sptgguy]

PuppiesandKitten...I am going to give you a lot of credit. I never even thought of it that way. I am still sad to see so many of the local stores being forced out...but I have hope that with the increased amount of retail space being opened in downtown that they will be able to come back and help spread the retail area out a bit more. 

[Danmire]

Not sure if this is exactly retail but... looks like The Playwright Pub which just recently changed its name to The Broad and River Pub has closed down.  An expensive failure that one.

[gvegascple]

As rents go up it wont just be National Retailers pushing out Local Stores, it will eventually become Higher Margin Product Shops edging out lower margin product shops.  Forget about diversity, all that will be left will be places that know how to sell a lot of liquor.  King St in Charleston is a pretty good example, if you dont own the building you are going to be forced to see a National Retailer or a Bar (or restaurant that moves a lot of drinks) as rents keep going up.  Hopefully side streets and new pockets will pop up (West Village, the area behind where the Camperdown is going, etc) that still allow for some variety and local shopping (until those areas are saturated too).  

[RiverWalker]

11 hours ago, Danmire said:

Not sure if this is exactly retail but... looks like The Playwright Pub which just recently changed its name to The Broad and River Pub has closed down.  An expensive failure that one.

Been gone almost a month.

[SVL]

Maple Street Biscuit Company coming to 18 E. North Street  (Former Dixie Tavern location). Also they will be opening a second store in Five Forks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTWqxk5Dmdy/?taken-by=upstatebiz

 

Edited April 27, 2017 by SVL

[vicupstate]

^^ Great breakfast place.

[PuppiesandKittens]

What happened to the Chick-fil-A pick-up window? Did it close?  CFA needs a real location on Main, not the Daniel Building version or a pick-up window.

[SVL]

Terrace to open Monday, May 22.

https://upstatebusinessjournal.com/news/first-look-stewart-penicks-terrace-restaurant-opens-may-22-west-end/

[gvegascple]

American Grocery Closed.  I  really loved this place, probably loved having it in Greenville more than actually going as the last few times I wanted to go their menu was a little too foodie for me.  Stinks that it is gone, a lot of times when I didnt want beef tongue I would just have some drinks at the bar instead which where great.  I am starting to wonder if downtown rents are going to turn  downtown into spots where only the margins from alcohol sales will be enough to support, that or maybe the odd national chain willing to take a loss in exchange for getting people into their stores or online businesses.  We need side streets or areas outside of main (but still very walk able from Main St) with lower rents desperately too keep Greenville more than just a bunch of bar/restaurants.  Hoping the area behind the Camperdown blossoms into something cool and I keep holding out for the West Village.  

 

https://upstatebusinessjournal.com/news/american-grocery-restaurant-closes-10-years-west-end/

 

Edited July 7, 2017 by gvegascple

[gman430]

The problem with American Grocery is that I felt like they never advertised or anything. No billboards, magazine ads, etc. To survive in the competitive downtown restaurant scene you need to do this to be successful. 

I also don't understand why the owners put their finances into a new establishment instead of American Grocery to try and make it work. 

Edited July 7, 2017 by gman430

[SVL]

https://upstatebusinessjournal.com/news/breakwater-restaurant-bar-close-july-8

Breakwater is closing too.