The State of Downtown Retail

[Galley]

ARB slated to open July 29th.

I welcome any burger place that offers a veggie patty as an alternative.

[gman430]

Spiritex is getting close to opening it seems.

They are now open.

[apaladin]

Had to look up The Vault. Not impressive at all, in my opinion, but it is definitely better than an empty storefront.

Had to look up The Vault. Not impressive at all, in my opinion, but it is definitely better than an empty storefront.

 

They sell Furman stuff! I like it! Noticed there is one of these on E.North next to Brushy Creek Baptist. Not open yet but a former bank has a large The Vault sign on it.

[mallguy]

I also looked up The Vault on Yelp. It got excellent reviews.

 

Despite that, I still wish downtown had a few "regular" anchors, like a Target.  It needs stores that attract large volumes of people so that the other stores can get the spillover business.  Mast General Store does that, but what else?

[gman]

They sell Furman stuff! I like it! Noticed there is one of these on E.North next to Brushy Creek Baptist. Not open yet but a former bank has a large The Vault sign on it.

"The Vault" located next to BCBC is owned by the church and used for one of it's ministries. 

[mallguy]

How is Anthropologie doing?

 

I see plenty of people with its shopping bags walking around downtown.  I'd guess being one of just a few stores of its kind in an area with plenty of foot traffic is a good set-up for it (as I was reading that the number of customers who actually go in a store and buy something is much higher in non-mall than mall locations)?

[gman430]

Jack N Diane's is now open.

[mallguy]

Just thinking- with national retailers moving in across the street from the old JC Penney building, isn't it a waste for that building to have no retail in it, and no attraction for pedestrians?  Isn't the best use of ground-floor space in that block retail space, with 2nd stories and higher the best places for office space?

 

I was thinking that it would be a perfect site for a redevelopment for additional retail space, or for a store such as a large H&M or something.

[GvilleSC]

Just thinking- with national retailers moving in across the street from the old JC Penney building, isn't it a waste for that building to have no retail in it, and no attraction for pedestrians? Isn't the best use of ground-floor space in that block retail space, with 2nd stories and higher the best places for office space?

I was thinking that it would be a perfect site for a redevelopment for additional retail space, or for a store such as a large H&M or something.

I agree, but it's getting a coffee shop I believe. So it could be a lot more active with that amount of street frontage, but it's better than it was with just Windstream.

[vicupstate]

I agree, but it's getting a coffee shop I believe. So it could be a lot more active with that amount of street frontage, but it's better than it was with just Windstream.

 

I believe the coffee shop will just be a walk-up window where the ATM was.  The 'kitchen' of the coffee shop will be in the basement.  From whats been published I believe the first floor is largely unspoken for.  I would fully expect a retail tenant for that level.

[mallguy]

Doesn't downtown need a better retail directory?

 

If I'm visiting a town and looking to go shopping, I'll look online for whatever malls are in town, and maybe do quick online searches to see if there is a Nordstrom or Dillard's or something elsewhere in town, and then head to what is usually one of the local malls.  Unless I know that the downtown has a vibrant retail scene (like Greenwich, CT or White Plains, NY), I'll head to the mall.

 

If someone is visiting Greenville, I'd assume that the person will reasonably assume, even after some hunting, that national retailers are at Haywood Mall and that downtown has locally-owned stores.  Yet that's not the case in Greenville, and a better downtown online presence- like a mall would have- would help spread the news.

 

Here's one that's a good model; in Princeton, the local mall was awful and the nicer stores are downtown:

 

http://www.palmersquare.com/shopping

[scgubers]

Camille's in the boa building is closing

[gman430]

Camille's in the boa building is closing

Due to impending BofA renovations?

[GvilleSC]

Just speculating here, but: They've struggled through the Piazza construction. I imagine rents around the Piazza are going to rise dramatically-- especially for spaces such as Camille's that were previously fairly hidden and will now be at the center of it all...

[gman430]

Outman's has closed at Main at McBee.

[Danmire]

20 Shades of Green salad place is closed for renovations.  Wonder how that place is doing.

[johnpro318]

20 Shades of Green salad place is closed for renovations.  Wonder how that place is doing.

 

We stopped in right when they opened. We weren't impressed and both myself and the others I was with said that they needed some renovations. They needed to realize that this is Main Street and people won't just settle on a place anymore because there is hundreds of options. Wish them well though as it's a unique concept.

[mallguy]

In walking around downtown this weekend, it seems to me that if you add up the regional chains and national chains, downtown has plenty of chains.  Maybe not a majority of stores, but it's getting close.

 

I consider a regional chain anything that is based somewhere else in the Southeast and has at least a handful of locations, even if it's not a standard mall-type store.  Mast General Store, Charleston Cooks, the new place opening where Ballew & Scott was, etc. all count.

Edited September 3, 2013 by mallguy

[greenjoesc]

I saw a sign in the window for a House of Jerky for Main and McBee.

[olrob]

Coffee and Crema window installed in old Windstream building.

[gman430]

JACs with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for restaurant space between the Liberty Tower buildings. 

[Greenville]

JACs with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for restaurant space between the Liberty Tower buildings. 

 

It seems like this location is a revolving door for businesses.  It seems to be a relatively poor location except for those who work in the Liberty Tower buildings.  I think the problem is that it "feels" like it is a long way away from Main Street even though it isn't.

[GvilleSC]

The Coffee and Crema window is now open. This weather probably helps, but there was a small line yesterday afternoon about 1:15. This adds a neat element to the pedestrian experience on Main.

[gman430]

It looks like the old spa next to Handi and across Main Street from ONE has been leased.

[GvilleSC]

It looks like the old spa next to Handi and across Main Street from ONE has been leased.

I hope it's something that engages folks. I actually didn't realize this space was empty. It's a very small storefront.