Nike/Niketown Detroit

[iheartthed]

How in the world is 8 mile and Van Dyke more on the periphery than 8 Mile and Telegraph? Obviously since Detroit has a Kmart store that is still open means they can support high end retail. Obviously that is a reasonable conclusion. The city hasn't supported any high end or mid level retail in nearly 30 years.

The Kmart is about a half mile south of 8 Mile, on Telegraph. The Target is on the actual border.

[Shollin]

The Kmart is about a half mile south of 8 Mile, on Telegraph. The Target is on the actual border.

It's all the way in the northwest corner. From downtown to 7 mile and Telegraph according to Google is 17.6 miles. Downtown to 8 mile and Van Dyke is 10.2.

[iheartthed]

Your words:

It doesn't even have a Kmart [[which began in Detroit) not even a Big Lots.

Clearly, you like to say things that are easily verifiable as false. Maybe you don't know how to use Google...

You also said:

Lets see how long it lasts. Target was in Detroit and it didn't last long. Eastland and Northland are dying.

So you're implying that the reason the Target failed is because it is in the city of Detroit. It had absolutely nothing to do with the Target that opened up less than 10 minutes away from the Bel Air location. It was solely because Detroit it was in the city of Detroit. And Detroit is poor, crime ridden and cursed.

Now, using your logic, Kmart should also be closed because it's in the city of Detroit. Because by being in the city of Detroit a chain retail store cannot survive.

[Shollin]

Like I said I forgot about the Kmart at 8 Mile and Telegraph. There's Target's closer together in the suburbs that do just fine.Where would the people go to a Target west of Van Dyke? Sure the one at Eastland would siphon off customers to the east. Retail is also failing in the suburbs around Detroit. You're right. Because Detroit has one Kmart in the northwest corner of the city and has had nothing close to upscale retail in 30 years, clearly shows Detroit can support it. It makes perfect sense to place a store that charges high dollar for it's merchandise in a poor city.

[jaytheory]

Do you realize how far away from downtown Cleveland their Target is? You might as well call Eastland Detroit. The Target in Eastland is closer to downtown Detroit than Target is to downtown Cleveland. St louis does not have a Target. New Orleans does not have a Target. Baltimore has 1 Target and Philadelphia isn't in the same class as Detroit. When Hudson's closed, why didn't anyone move into the building? Why didn't Macy's move downtown? You would think if Hudson's leaving wasn't due to demand, there would be a huge hole in Detroit retail.

because colman young was mayor and the ,money was moving away. following the realtors. Detroit can support it if its done right

[NoHeartAnthony]

What about downtown retail geared towards the affluent will attract them more than say, the numerous urban shopping areas in GP?

[GRdetfan]

Chicago doesn't even have one...

Au contraire...Chicago does have a Niketown on Michigan Avenue. It was completely remodeled in 2012.

[Bham1982]

Au contraire...Chicago does have a Niketown on Michigan Avenue. It was completely remodeled in 2012.

I don't think Chicago has a Niketown.

The Nike website labels the Michigan Ave. location as a regular Nike store, not a Niketown. It's highly unlikely Nike's website is mislabeling their own store.

[Bham1982]

Um, the Shops at Canal were still there last time I checked and looking at Yelp, there are reviews from people shopping there this month.

http://www.theshopsatcanalplace.com/shops <- that's little retail? And you must be ignoring all of the boutiques inside the Quarter as well. There's plenty of shopping in NOLA, are you serious?

Re-read my post. I never said any of this.

I said New Orleans has one small, highly subsidized mall [[Canal Place), and the other mall was abandoned and demolished [[New Orleans Place). New Orleans Place, previously the main mall [[and anchored by Lord & Taylor) is now a parking lot. Maison Blanche [[the flagship department store) closed, was abandoned, and is now a hotel.

And we have very different notions of "plenty of shopping". There is essentially no name-brand downtown retail outside of Canal Place, which has about as much retail as the Rennaisance Center.

[old guy]

I'm amazed you want a Nike Town as a flagship of your retail district.

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[GRdetfan]

If you are on Michigan Avenue, the Nike store has a "NikeTown" marquee. So while the website may not list it as such, it signed as a Niketown location. It is fairly large [[4 levels I think) and over-priced, much like other manufacturers' stores on Michigan Avenue [[Garmin, Columbia, for example).

[southen]

I'm amazed you want a Nike Town as a flagship of your retail district.

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i don't think it's that different than most retailers sadly. an apple flagship has the same backstory.

[old guy]

That's true Southen. It just seems a bit ironic that a great manufacturing city that's just gone through what Detroit has, embracing the product born of labor practices like nike uses. It's a sad model of what's probably going to engulf this country.

[southen]

That's true Southen. It just seems a bit ironic that a great manufacturing city that's just gone through what Detroit has, embracing the product born of labor practices like nike uses. It's a sad model of what's probably going to engulf this country.

it is sad but there are other cities in much better shape that could afford to protest a store like this. we need whatever we can get and it's not like people won't go elsewhere for their nike's.

[Bham1982]

If you are on Michigan Avenue, the Nike store has a "NikeTown" marquee.

Does it currently show this marquee, though?

I know that Nike formerly had a Niketown on Michigan Ave., as well as in a number of cities [[Portland, DC, and others) but they downsized/relocated a number of them.

Based on Nike's website, it looks like the Michigan Ave. site is no longer a Niketown. It also appears to be at a different address from the last time I was on Michigan Ave. Granted, it's possible Nike screwed up its own website, but not super likely.

[dtowncitylover]

And we have very different notions of "plenty of shopping". There is essentially no name-brand downtown retail outside of Canal Place, which has about as much retail as the Rennaisance Center.

But the two have two different range of retail. Canal Place looks like it's Somerset South, but the retail in the RenCen is less even for a strip mall. CVS, Jos A Bank, Pure Detroit, and a candy store is nothing compared to Canal Place or Somerset South. The RenCen does not have plenty of shopping.

And the reason why the former high-end retail at the RenCen didn't work, as been said before and many times, was because it was built as a monolithic structure. Why would anyone shopping up Woodward come down and figure out how to get into the Center to shop at the higher end stores. However the RenCen is now, thankfully, alot more accessible and open to the Riverwalk and even towards Jefferson.

But sometimes I feel like I'm in someone's private business with GM being there. I've gotten plenty of dirty looks from GM employees probably thinking why I was there.

[DetroitPlanner]

And the reason why the former high-end retail at the RenCen didn't work, as been said before and many times, was because it was built as a monolithic structure. Why would anyone shopping up Woodward coming down and figure out how to get into the Center to shop at the higher end stores. However the RenCen is now, thankfully, alot more accessible and open to the Riverwalk and even towards Jefferson.

Sounds like your describing somerset mall!
Don't kid yourself there were multiple reasons why high end stuff didn't work there. Stores like Winkleman's and Ganto's however had a great success there and kept those outlets opened long after they began to close stores.

Detroit is not a high end shopping spot. Most people are down to earth blue collar types who don't need to wear Ralph or Tommy logos when their names are LaMont or Mike.

[old guy]

it is sad but

nuff said. Back to the program that's already in progress.

[wolverine]

Au contraire...Chicago does have a Niketown on Michigan Avenue. It was completely remodeled in 2012.

It was remodeled, but rebranded as a flagship store, but it's not called Niketown. Part of the renovations was to increase store square footage by removing some of the atrium space and adding another floor.


Btw, I've noticed some people talking about downtown workers and their relationship to boosting the retail scene. That's not really true. Workers don't shop as much as you think. It's tourism and residents that support all of that, not workers.

Chicagoans tend to be pretty light shoppers on Michigan Ave, especially with the special zones sales taxes which thankfully were reduced quite a bit a couple months ago. But regardless of higher prices for the same stuff you'd find cheaper elsewhere, the avenue was a huge draw because of local, national, and international tourists. Since I share an address I receive updates for happenings, developments, and sometimes pretty data charts. Tourism is higher than it's ever been at around 45,000,000 annually, and they directly support 125,000 jobs. Tourism accounts for nearly 35% of the city's tax intake.

Those are big numbers, and they show exactly what it takes to build a pretty solid shopping avenue. I think Woodward will be something more like State Street. It caters heavily to a residential base and has more mid-range national chains. Future streetcar access linking residents to this area basically shadows what Chicago has with those strong transit connections. But again, I wouldn't count on workers to fully support retail. They will most definitely help restaurants, but on Monday-Thurs retail is pretty steady and doesn't get chaotic till the weekends.

I know some people don't like the chain retail, but you must absolutely have it. Independent retailers aren't typically long term leaseholders. On major shopping streets that gain quite a bit of value, independent retailers always loose feast or famine. When business is bad, they can't pay the rent. When business is great, their landlord announces their 10 year lease contract is no longer valid, and they must pack up and leave in 90 days and don't bother trying to take it to court. The tenants back out, so they can get a major tenant in the space. We had two city blocks of independent retailers have their leases terminated because they "weren't part of the future plan." Personally, I feel this is unfortunate since you need that retail diversity. But to keep Woodward stable and steady with shoppers, expect chain retail like Target, TJ Max, DSW, Mega-Walgreens that will be there for the long haul and pay alot for those spaces.

That said, I'd bet money Woodward has the potential to be a very successful shopping street. It's only now that someone has taken charge and will build the downtown business ecosystem from scratch..and all at once.

[detmsp]

Workers don't shop as much as you think. It's tourism and residents that support all of that, not workers.

Bingo. According to my company's data, the vast majority of our sales in downtown stores come from residents who live within .5 mile. We get plenty of downtown workers walking through our stores, but they just don't buy nearly as much as residents.

[canuck]

We had two city blocks of independent retailers have their leases terminated because they "weren't part of the future plan." Personally, I feel this is unfortunate since you need that retail diversity. But to keep Woodward stable and steady with shoppers, expect chain retail like Target, TJ Max, DSW, Mega-Walgreens that will be there for the long haul and pay alot for those spaces.

That said, I'd bet money Woodward has the potential to be a very successful shopping street. It's only now that someone has taken charge and will build the downtown business ecosystem from scratch..and all at once.

Shopping mall owners do this pruning to get higher end brand name shops. Last year there was a story here about the local big mall [[Fairview) not renewing the lease for a long time tenant; a very profitable but costume type jewelry store. They told them they didnt fit into their long term plans for the mall...

[313WX]

I'm amazed you want a Nike Town as a flagship of your retail district.

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What ISN'T made with foreign "slave" labor these days?

Even American-made cars are built, to some extent, from "slave" labor.

[jaytheory]

at the end of the day who cares...I like sneakers and we need stores

[stasu1213]

About 10 years ago, there was a Dress Barn on Congress between Griswold and Shelby.

There were? I don't remember one

[stasu1213]

I am glad that Dan Gilbert doesn't have that this will never work in a blue collar town attitude.