Go, boroughs! The announcement that Uniqlo is coming to the Atlantic Center in Brooklyn and the Staten Island Mall is another sign that international retailers are finally waking up to the enormous market potential outside Manhattan.
Really, it's surprising that it's taken some of them so long. After all, Brooklyn's 2.6 million in population is larger than all but a handful of U.S. cities, and it possesses a terrific public transportation network (particularly at Atlantic Center). Staten Island, while smaller, is a captive audience that truly can be described as the best of both worlds - the city vibe of New York with infrastructure (i.e. parking) more akin to neighboring New Jersey. I truly believe that Uniqlo will be followed by even more global names taking at least one and likely multiple locations in the outer boroughs, especially with the Mall at Bay Plaza opening in the Bronx next year.
And there's activity everywhere in the city. Papyrus, which has been selling accessories and home décor under the Niquea.D label, will open freestanding stores for the brand at 1335 Third Ave. and 678 Hudson St. Look for natural beauty icon Korres to open a store in the city in the foreseeable future. Allermuir's first standalone furniture showroom in the city will be at 125 Fifth Ave. Rick Owens' DRKSHDW has a temporary space at 70-72 Wooster St. through October 26. Across the street at 73 Wooster, Sleep Studio offers mattresses, bedding and more. Superstar Gym joins the fitness fray at 452 Washington St. F.S.C. Barber SoHo is relocating from the Lower East Side to 33 Crosby St. this month. Ethik Clothing Co. is moving from 23 Essex St. to 160 Orchard St. Downtown Brooklyn is still celebrating the opening of H&M at 497 Fulton St. Also coming to Brooklyn is Turkey's Mavi Jeans, to Fifth Ave. and Union St. in Park Slope. British fitness brand Sweaty Betty makes its U.S. debut this fall at 77 Mercer St. At press time, Wolverine's boots were scheduled to open a first permanent N.Y.C. store at 254 Elizabeth St. momentarily. Dunkin' Donuts may have found the last remaining location it didn't have, and will be taking 351 Grand St., published reports say.
We're active on the educational and charitable fronts, too. NYCREW's Leading Ladies of Real Estate: Summer Series will conclude on August 14, when Patricia Dunphy, a senior vice president of Rockrose Development will offer an informal talk on trends and careers. The event will be held from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. at the offices of Akerman Senterfitt, 666 Fifth Ave. For more info, visit www.nycrew.org.
There is still time to attend the annual "Women of Valor" Tea for the St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters, which feeds over 10,000 families, many of them working poor, around the tri-state area and fills other critical needs as clothing and counseling. I'm honored to once again co-chair this luncheon and tea, which will be held Thursday, August 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Waldorf-Astoria. For more info, visit http://stfrancispantries.org/fundraising/women-of-valor-awards-tea/index.html. If your schedule doesn't permit attending, please consider a generous donation to this wonderful organization.
And we're already gearing up for my discussion of "Bye-bye BRICS, Welcome Oz: Retail Globalization" at the fifth annual NYC Real Estate Expo, being held October 8th at the New York Hilton. This conference has grown rapidly to be one of the premier events in real estate in the city, and I can't wait to give my views on where the new stores around town are coming from, and where they're going! For more information, visit www.nycrealestateexpo.com.
Looking even farther ahead, the entire Women's Special Industry Group team is planning our annual year-end program at the International Council of Shopping Centers' New York National Conference. Our event will be held December 9th from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the New York Hilton's Mercury Ballroom. Please keep checking www.icsc.org - and this column - for details.
Happy Shopping!
Faith Hope Consolo, is the chairman, the retail group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, New York, N.Y. Tags: