What happened to summer? Wasn't July 4th just last week? With Labor Day now history, it's time to turn our attention to fall trends and the ICSC Women's Special Interest Group hits the surf in San Diego.
Summer 2010 was certainly busy on the deal front: DSW will continue the expansion of the 34th St. retail corridor, taking 35,000 s/f at 213 West 34th St., with Duane Reade taking space at the same location. Burberry Brit is headed downtown to 369 Bleecker St. The Touring Company will occupy 440 Broadway. Velita's tailored looks have moved to 211 Mott St. British clothier Ted Baker brings his style to the West Village at 32-36 Little West 12th St. Alexander Wang's first store will replace Yohji Yamamoto at 103 Grand St. Agnés b returns to Soho at 50 Howard St. Billy's Bakery's third store in Manhattan will open in November at 268 Elizabeth St.
Uptown, Olive & Bette's fifth location is set for 1249 Third Ave. J. Crew Men's shop has opened at 1040 Madison Ave. Oreste Borsa's Italian accessories will enhance the Upper East Side at 1039 Third Ave. Frey Wille, featuring magnificent enameled pieces, adds to Madison Ave.'s glitter at 727, not far from David Yurman at 712.
Breitling watches will open its first U.S. store at 5 East 57th St. ToyWatch also enters the timepiece wars at 509 Madison Ave. J.M. Weston is relocating to 600 Madison Ave. Mario Batali's Eataly opened in the Flatiron area on August 31. The Upper West Side is busy with Rag & Bone coming to 182 Columbus Ave. And Brooklyn is bustling, too, with Jodi Arnold debuting at 347 Atlantic Ave.
I have high expectations for a busy fall, too, on both the retail sales and leasing fronts. Consumers at all price points continue, rightly, to be cautious. But they are continuing to spend when a product is compelling, and right now, much of that centers around consumer electronics. The iPad is a huge hit, new Kindles are on the market, and Best Buy and Target are expanding their mobile phone departments and stores rapidly. On the apparel front, well-made garments at all price points will continue to sell, particularly in the new, more subdued color palette this year. Heavy knits, minimalist dresses and equestrian and military influences will spice up our wardrobes! New retailers are continuing to look at Manhattan and beyond-rumors persist that Nordstrom is looking for a location for a full-price store, and Uniqlo may be opening on 34th St. Wait and see!
Meanwhile, the ICSC Special Interest Group for women is westward bound with our latest session to take place on Friday, September 24, starting with a pre-event breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by our group of roundtables from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the San Diego Convention Center, as part of the Association's Western Division Conference. As with the just completed Florida Conference, this meeting is one of ICSC's largest-and preregistration is already quite impressive!
I will, again, chair the group and discuss "New Retailers and Globalization." Beth Silverman, co-founder of ShopTheJobs.com, who joined us for the first Special Interest Group at RECon, is repeating her popular roundtable on "Developing Your Personal Brand." Leslie Lundin, president and managing partner of LBG Realty Advisors, will offer "Snappy Capital Solutions for Troubled Times." Vanessa Delgado, director of entitlements for Primestor Development, will discuss "The Trials and Triumphs of Public/Private Partnerships." Tami Torrez, real estate manager of SuperValu, will discuss "Negotiations: Considering All of the Angles." Tracey Daniels, a partner at Hartman & Craven LLP, will discuss "Real Estate Psychology-The Art of Negotiating the Deal." Deborah Adams, director property development, Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market, Inc. will discuss "Successful Site Selection: A Method to the Madness?"
Attendance is included in the Idea Exchange registration fee-although pre-registration prior to the session is an absolute must. Those not attending the full conference may sit in on the SIG for a $25 fee-all of the attendees have given us rave reviews, so do plan on joining us! To register for the full conference, visit www.icsc.org/2010WS. To register for the SIG, email [email protected].
We're stepping into fall with style!
Faith Hope Consolo is the chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman's Retail Group, New York, N.Y. Tags: