Dan Gilberts Retail Renaissance to include 70-90 retailers, including Target & Apple

[Detroit Stylin]

He supports downtown retail fof sure! I saw him across the street from BW3 at City Slickers trying on lime gators with orange trim.

Yeah I can totally see him rockin those at a meeting with his Board of Executives....

[rbdetsport]

Well, this settles the Microsoft rumors... Too bad

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...set-Collection

[[Also, why is the sad face the first choice in the smileys? Are we that negative? hahah)

[canuck]

He supports downtown retail fof sure! I saw him across the street from BW3 at City Slickers trying on lime gators with orange trim.

He was trying them on for his wife Jennifer, they have the same size feet. You know how she goes for day-glo schemes.

[stasu1213]

too bad that Bing or any city planners didn't negotiate with Microsoft to have the company to move downtown. Dan Gilbert probably would had wanted Microsoft to have a store downtown. I feel that the city allow him to buy buildings but make it hard for him to bring retail downtown

[bailey]

too bad that Bing or any city planners didn't negotiate with Microsoft to have the company to move downtown. Dan Gilbert probably would had wanted Microsoft to have a store downtown. I feel that the city allow him to buy buildings but make it hard for him to bring retail downtown

I don't know if Gilbert would make a play for Microsoft store... Apple is much more trendy.

[dtowncitylover]

I don't know if Gilbert would make a play for Microsoft store... Apple is much more trendy.

But we already have three Apple stores in the metro area. Considering that, why not open another Microsoft store downtown, eventually of course.

[casscorridor]

But we already have three Apple stores in the metro area. Considering that, why not open another Microsoft store downtown, eventually of course.

Those three stores, [[not counting Briarwood in Ann Arbor) are Twelve Oaks, Somerset, Partridge Creek. All are located in "destination malls" in outer-ring suburbs.

Locating an Apple store downtown would place it closer to as many as a million customers [[my very nonacademic guess) than any current store. Not to mention, as the malls bordering Detroit slowly decline [[Northland, Eastland, Fairlane), a medium-high end shopping outing becomes much further away for a significant portion of the Metro, and therefore Downtown will be a more lucrative option for retailers looking to open new locations, especially stores that have none or limited locations in the Metro.

[j to the jeremy]

The Microsoft store is goin in the burbs I believe

[rbdetsport]

^ Yes, see the link above.

[wolverine]

Having Apple and Microsoft downtown would be great, but Gilbert will really need to support their existence to remain viable. Those stores stand really well on their own in downtowns when you got enormous corporate job centers and tourism destinations around them. Employees swing by during lunch or after work and tourists visit on the weekend. I don't think this shopping destination is going to grow on its own and that's why I'm glad Gilbert is taking the risk to make it happen. Hopefully residents realize the great experience of a downtown shopping destination.

[dtowncitylover]

Looks like CityLoft is reopening and has expanded hours for the next month, good on them for this! It's probably an expanded experiment to get the weekday daytime feel.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013072...wntown-detroit

[jw101]

Looks like CityLoft is reopening and has expanded hours for the next month, good on them for this! It's probably an expanded experiment to get the weekday daytime feel.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013072...wntown-detroit

I'm ready for the permanent retail!

[esp1986]

I'm ready for the permanent retail!

This is the next step! Each time they extend the hours & expand the retailer base, they take another step forward. The next step beyond this, is for some retailers to want more space, perhaps even their own abbreviated storefront, like the Detroit Shoppe. [[for those of you that don't know, they sectioned off the frontmost 10-15 feet of the Kresge Building, behind that is storage.)

[dtowncitylover]

Though just for a week, a nice addition to the nascent retail scene. Best of luck to them!

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ng-up-downtown

[davewindsor]

Though just for a week, a nice addition to the nascent retail scene. Best of luck to them!

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ng-up-downtown

Pffh, who cares?!?

I don't wish them good luck. I hope they crash and burn. Is this the best that Crain's reporting can do??

In a nutshell, two entrepreneurs decide to open up a shop that sells no name custom suits manufactured in China for $500+ in downtown. Why would it be a nice addition to this city?

1) It's not made in Detroit. It's not even made in North America. Thanks for finding more ways to import crap from China. Why not manufacture it in Detroit for that kind of money?? Give me a break. If it were made in Detroit, that would be a worthwhile endeavor IMO. But, overwhelming the city with more cheaply made imports is what destroyed this city in the first place. I would never buy it. Hell, I would rather buy a suit from a second hand store with a real brand name for a fraction of the price and get it dry cleaned and retailored than buy this. What a great example for Detroit's rebirth [[sarcasm).

2) Sorry, a no name brand can't say they are on par with Gucci and Ralph Lauren. Gucci and Ralph Lauren spend hundreds of millions of dollars branding their products and you're paying for the name when you buy products with the Gucci and Ralph Lauren name. Before they can say they're on par, they've got to spend hundreds of millions on advertising just like well known brands; otherwise, they're just selling fake rip off brands and counterfeits. I can buy shoes and other no name goods from Walmart that claim to be on par with Nike, etc. for a lot less. But, it's not the same thing. You're paying more for the brand name. You can't establish yourself as a high end brand without spending the kind of money those other companies do.

[dtowncitylover]

Pffh, who cares?!?

I don't wish them good luck. I hope they crash and burn. Is this the best that Crain's reporting can do??

In a nutshell, two entrepreneurs decide to open up a shop that sells no name custom suits manufactured in China for $500+ in downtown. Why would it be a nice addition to this city?

1) It's not made in Detroit. It's not even made in North America. Thanks for finding more ways to import crap from China. Why not manufacture it in Detroit for that kind of money?? Give me a break. If it were made in Detroit, that would be a worthwhile endeavor IMO. But, overwhelming the city with more cheaply made imports is what destroyed this city in the first place. I would never buy it. Hell, I would rather buy a suit from a second hand store with a real brand name for a fraction of the price and get it dry cleaned and retailored than buy this. What a great example for Detroit's rebirth [[sarcasm).

2) Sorry, a no name brand can't say they are on par with Gucci and Ralph Lauren. Gucci and Ralph Lauren spend hundreds of millions of dollars branding their products and you're paying for the name when you buy products with the Gucci and Ralph Lauren name. Before they can say they're on par, they've got to spend hundreds of millions on advertising just like well known brands; otherwise, they're just selling fake rip off brands and counterfeits. I can buy shoes and other no name goods from Walmart that claim to be on par with Nike, etc. for a lot less. But, it's not the same thing. You're paying more for the brand name. You can't establish yourself as a high end brand without spending the kind of money those other companies do.

Yikes. Ok then. I didn't realize that all those men on Saville Row and all those couture designers started from riches and already had name recognition when they started. Of course, they didn't. They all started from somewhere and usually it was something like these gentlemen are doing. J.L. Hudson's first store was inside the old Opera House lobby.

[nain rouge]

Sure, putting an Apple store downtown would put it within reach of more customers, but trying selling the location to suburbanites, especially after the first story hits about someone having their shiny new iPad swiped from there hands. Gilbert can go ahead and turn all his cameras towards the store and blare "swiper, no swiping" over the PA, but some thefts would still happen.

[DetroitPlanner]

A couple of thoughts. I wish them luck. Serman's has closed leaving the only men's stores the Broadway, Stones, and Hot Sam's. Even those are shells of what they used to be. Therefore the market for suits is weak. If there was a stronger market, the existing stores would not be closing and would tailor more to the business man and less to the dress-up of Easter or Clubbing types.

Stores like this are not all that unusual. These are seen as trunk sales and usually they are in the Penobscot building.

[jw101]

Sure, putting an Apple store downtown would put it within reach of more customers, but trying selling the location to suburbanites, especially after the first story hits about someone having their shiny new iPad swiped from there hands. Gilbert can go ahead and turn all his cameras towards the store and blare "swiper, no swiping" over the PA, but some thefts would still happen.

Very nice thought. They do have literally thousands of cameras downtown.

[Spartan]

Pffh, who cares?!?
2) Sorry, a no name brand can't say they are on par with Gucci and Ralph Lauren. Gucci and Ralph Lauren spend hundreds of millions of dollars branding their products and you're paying for the name when you buy products with the Gucci and Ralph Lauren name. Before they can say they're on par, they've got to spend hundreds of millions on advertising just like well known brands; otherwise, they're just selling fake rip off brands and counterfeits. I can buy shoes and other no name goods from Walmart that claim to be on par with Nike, etc. for a lot less. But, it's not the same thing. You're paying more for the brand name. You can't establish yourself as a high end brand without spending the kind of money those other companies do.

That's the whole point... You're feeding into the marketing bullshit that some brands are simply better than others because of their name. It's why you can buy a Polo for $80, or one that's much better quality from a smaller brand for $50.

I'd rather pay more for a better product, or the same amount for a similar product, than spend that money funding marketing budgets. They decided to start the business because they thought they could produce a quality product at a much lower price. I believe them that their fabrics are probably not much different than some of those top-level brands, but who knows if the tailoring quality will come anywhere near it.

You CAN establish yourself as a high end brand without spending that kind of money, by producing a high-quality product.

[davewindsor]

That's the whole point... You're feeding into the marketing bullshit that some brands are simply better than others because of their name. It's why you can buy a Polo for $80, or one that's much better quality from a smaller brand for $50.

I'd rather pay more for a better product, or the same amount for a similar product, than spend that money funding marketing budgets. They decided to start the business because they thought they could produce a quality product at a much lower price. I believe them that their fabrics are probably not much different than some of those top-level brands, but who knows if the tailoring quality will come anywhere near it.

You CAN establish yourself as a high end brand without spending that kind of money, by producing a high-quality product.

They can try. But, they won't succeed in establishing a high end brand without spending that kind of money. It's crap made from China. Nothing to be proud of. And it's not on par with Gucci or Ralph Lauren. It frustrates the hell out of me when someone says their products are on par with a long established brand name like that. It's delusional.

If they want success branding without spending that kind of money, they should make it in Detroit. They would have a real word of mouth following which would put them on the right path to becoming a successful brand.

Have you ever heard the story of Dov Charney? He went to Tufts University in 1987. In 1989, he borrowed $10,000 from his dad, dropped out of university, and founded American Apparel. He started out subcontracting with a US factory and now his corporation owns a 800,000 square foot factory in downtown LA employing over 4,000 people producing 275,000 pieces of clothing a day. Their market share has been skyrocketing because they pride themselves in being a company that makes quality clothes in America. A big part of their branding and success is that their clothes are made in the US. You can make quality in North America. It doesn't have to be made in China.

If these guys made their suits in Detroit, I'd be rooting for them. But, it's made in China. More crap from China, just like the stuff you can buy for a lot less from Walmart. Last time I checked, I could buy a decent looking Chinese made suit from Walmart for $80. Does the job. Unless it has the Ralph Lauren brand, it wouldn't be worth more. I wouldn't pay $500 for a no name suit made in China either just because they are selling it locally and claim it's on par with Ralph Lauren and Gucci. But, had it been made locally I might actually consider having a look. But, it's not, so who cares??

[Det_ard]

1) It's not made in Detroit. It's not even made in North America. Thanks for finding more ways to import crap from China. Why not manufacture it in Detroit for that kind of money?? Give me a break. If it were made in Detroit, that would be a worthwhile endeavor IMO. But, overwhelming the city with more cheaply made imports is what destroyed this city in the first place. I would never buy it. Hell, I would rather buy a suit from a second hand store with a real brand name for a fraction of the price and get it dry cleaned and retailored than buy this. What a great example for Detroit's rebirth [[sarcasm).

You clearly have no experience with tailor-made suits made in the East. For decades men have been having top quality business suits made in places like Hong Kong by very skilled and experienced tailors. The material is sourced from the best suppliers in Italy. There are businesses that have been coming to Detroit to show materials, take orders and measure the client. The one I've used in the past is out of LA. They follow the top MBA and law school circuit making suits for soon-to-be execs and lawyers, then follow on with them throughout their career. They typically rent a suite in a downtown hotel for a few days, once or twice a year, then move on. The suits are top-notch. An $800 suit from them is very comparable to a $2000 - $2500 suit from a brand you're infatuated with. And they fit perfectly. Every dimension is custom measured, every aspect of the suit [[or shirt) can be changed to suit your preference. There's certainly no comparison between one of these custom suits and what you'll find on the rack at Somerset.

2) Sorry, a no name brand can't say they are on par with Gucci and Ralph Lauren. Gucci and Ralph Lauren spend hundreds of millions of dollars branding their products and you're paying for the name when you buy products with the Gucci and Ralph Lauren name. Before they can say they're on par, they've got to spend hundreds of millions on advertising just like well known brands; otherwise, they're just selling fake rip off brands and counterfeits. I can buy shoes and other no name goods from Walmart that claim to be on par with Nike, etc. for a lot less. But, it's not the same thing. You're paying more for the brand name. You can't establish yourself as a high end brand without spending the kind of money those other companies do.

Smart people realize that dumb consumers will pay big money for mediocre goods if the brand name makes that consumer feel good. The consumer typically cares more about the brand name than the underlying quality of the good. The brand can get away with less than top quality because they don't have quality-focused consumers, they have advertising-focused consumers.

[wolverine]

Sure, putting an Apple store downtown would put it within reach of more customers, but trying selling the location to suburbanites, especially after the first story hits about someone having their shiny new iPad swiped from there hands. Gilbert can go ahead and turn all his cameras towards the store and blare "swiper, no swiping" over the PA, but some thefts would still happen.

Apple does operate stores nearby troubled areas. It's not an issue for them or their customers. It's normal for these stores to have security and also pay for private security service in their dues as a part of a business district association if available.

Besides, every time I read about someone's phone getting stolen in a big city the thieves always get caught. They're dumb and stupid

[Lily]

Apple does operate stores nearby troubled areas. It's not an issue for them or their customers. It's normal for these stores to have security and also pay for private security service in their dues as a part of a business district association if available.

Besides, every time I read about someone's phone getting stolen in a big city the thieves always get caught. They're dumb and stupid

And the Apple thiefs are all over, troubled shopping areas, high end areas, walking down your street and mine, restraunts, hospitals, everywhere.

a Target and an Apple store would be excellent choices. But, Will they do it? Another question.

[corktownyuppie]

And the Apple thiefs are all over, troubled shopping areas, high end areas, walking down your street and mine, restraunts, hospitals, everywhere.

a Target and an Apple store would be excellent choices. But, Will they do it? Another question.

I'm at the Starbucks on Woodward and MLK/Mack Ave. A dude snatched someone's laptop and ran out the door. The cops were here in less than 60 seconds, and 10 minutes later 4 cops returned with the laptop and an arrest.

Not gonna lie, I like to hype Detroit, but even I was blown away.