CityLoft by Somerset Collection on Woodward

**D_Town** · July-03-11, 09:16 AM

Report: Somerset Collection in Troy bringing high-class shopping stores to downtown Detroit

Written by Micheal Wayland
http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...ection_in.html

The state’s most prestigious shopping mall is planning to bring a little part of itself to downtown Detroit ... for a limited time.
The Somerset Collection in Troy will bring mini versions of several of its stores -- including Neiman Marcus, Kate Spade, Saks Fifth Avenue, Coach, the North Face, Anne Fontaine and the Gap - to downtown Detroit later this month, according to a report.

July 3, The Detroit Free Press: “Called Somerset Collection CityLoft, the boutiques will be located in a 4,000-square-foot space on the first floor of Merchants Row on Woodward Avenue.
“CityLoft will be open the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday of every month -- beginning July 28 -- through at least September.”

The CityLoft project represents a $500,000 investment by Somerset and its sponsors - Quicken Loans, Cadillac and Bank of America – the newspaper reports.
Organizers of the shopping center have special promotions and events planned throughout this month, including an invitation-only fundraiser July 27, the day before CityLoft is to open.
The temporary shopping center could be considered an upscale "pop-up shop,"also known as flash retailing.

http://www.freep.com/article/2011070...dward-CityLoft

**BrushStart** · July-03-11, 09:41 AM

Wow. That's awesome. This is effectively Somerset's way of sticking its toes in the water to check the temperature. If all goes well, this could mean big things in the pipeline for lower Woodward.

**adamjab19** · July-03-11, 10:01 AM

yeah, no kidding! You downtowners better save and then spend your pennys at this little function!

I may even come down to shop but am a little concerned about where to park?

Totally just kidding, I'll be down there regardless!

**cman710** · July-03-11, 10:15 AM

I hope this goes well. Simply because of the novelty, I think it will work out well at the start.

**mikeg19** · July-03-11, 11:51 AM

I work less than a mile from Sommerset in Troy and never go there, but I will certainly make it downtown one weekend to shop here. This is a great idea. If all goes well, they could possibly expand this to several more retailers and open up a much larger space. The only problem I see with this [[from comments made on this forum) is the lack of people in the CBD on the weekends unless there is something going on. Would some of you suggest that this be open during the week for a few hours during office workers lunch times? I'm sure there would be a TON of foot traffic at that time.

**stasu1213** · July-03-11, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by adamjab19

yeah, no kidding! You downtowners better save and then spend your pennys at this little function!

I may even come down to shop but am a little concerned about where to park?

Totally just kidding, I'll be down there regardless!

There should be an increase in the Park-n-Ride busses so shoppers could park in a parking lot where there usually park when taking the busses to Detroit, do there shopping, and take the busses back to there spots. This will be for those who don't live or park in the somerset parking lots People who work downtown and catches the bus back to Dearborn, Grosse Pointe, Roseville etc.I think that boutiques in a storefront in downtown Detroit is an excellent idea. Hopefully Macys and JCPenney would follow suit. Maybe open boutiques in a storefront where Macy's and JCPennys previous years or clearance items are sold

**StubbyStone** · July-03-11, 11:58 AM

uhmm... where are all the haters!?!?

I'm excited for this and I hope it leads to greater things...

**rencense** · July-03-11, 12:10 PM

oh how i hate to rain on the parade. I hope this is a successful venture but I have my doubts. cmon, neinman marcus and saks fifth avenue!? I'm a bit surprised those are even still open at somerset. Just like you can't out suburb the suburbs you cant out somerset somerset. Maybe someday downtown can be an elite shopping district but in the meantime you gotta walk before you run

I'm afraid there won't be much demand for obscenely priced clothing downtown and will backfire setting a bad precedent for retail downtown. Downtown is filled with cool people but I think most of them are of fairly modest means. I could see a scaled back kohls or old navy doing quite well. You may even pull of a gap/ something a little more upscale. Im sure lots of people downtown want to do some clothes shopping without driving out to some mall but not if it means buying stuff thats ignorantly expensive.

Maybe im wrong and I hope they do ok, i just hope they did their homework on this one.

**adamjab19** · July-03-11, 02:30 PM

Nieman marcus and Saks aren't even suppose to be selling clothes, Gap is though.

With the type of people that are reported on in these articles lately about downtown residents I think these types of stores are right up their alley. These people are willing to spend money and probably already shop at some of these stores. The only thing that may go against this somerset thing is that each store may have a limited selection and thus missing the mark for a sale for some people.

**English** · July-03-11, 02:36 PM

Yay! So very excited...

**gthomas** · July-03-11, 02:51 PM

I will support it for sure! I'm very excited, hope they expand and decide to test Detroit's retail market. I think they will do successfully well. Detroiter's wanted shopping Downtown, they got it.

**softailrider** · July-03-11, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by rencense

oh how i hate to rain on the parade. I hope this is a successful venture but I have my doubts. cmon, neinman marcus and saks fifth avenue!? I'm a bit surprised those are even still open at somerset. Just like you can't out suburb the suburbs you cant out somerset somerset. Maybe someday downtown can be an elite shopping district but in the meantime you gotta walk before you run

I'm afraid there won't be much demand for obscenely priced clothing downtown and will backfire setting a bad precedent for retail downtown. Downtown is filled with cool people but I think most of them are of fairly modest means. I could see a scaled back kohls or old navy doing quite well. You may even pull of a gap/ something a little more upscale. Im sure lots of people downtown want to do some clothes shopping without driving out to some mall but not if it means buying stuff thats ignorantly expensive.

Maybe im wrong and I hope they do ok, i just hope they did their homework on this one.

You must not have visited Somerset Mall lately, It usually busy as hell. You wouldn't know there's any problems with the economy when you're walking around that place.

**ismoakrack** · July-03-11, 03:31 PM

Finnally, I don' have to drive to Troy!

**stasu1213** · July-03-11, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by adamjab19

Nieman marcus and Saks aren't even suppose to be selling clothes, Gap is though.

With the type of people that are reported on in these articles lately about downtown residents I think these types of stores are right up their alley. These people are willing to spend money and probably already shop at some of these stores. The only thing that may go against this somerset thing is that each store may have a limited selection and thus missing the mark for a sale for some people.

Gap will be selling women's clothing according to the list. Maybe one day they will sell men's clothing also. There is nothing downtown to buy casual mens clothing at.

**Red Devil** · July-03-11, 05:35 PM

Sounds like a good idea. It would be cool if Detroit could get a store like Zara or H&M to set up shop downtown.

**Genesyxx** · July-03-11, 07:31 PM

Its a good temperature test of the retail market downtown but I'm a bit concerned, given the square footage and distance from pretty much any store other than Woodhouse Day Spa. I would have liked it if they would have taken over the ground space in 1001 Woodward, given the amount of foot traffic and proximity to the Westin.

**corktownyuppie** · July-03-11, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

You must not have visited Somerset Mall lately, It usually busy as hell. You wouldn't know there's any problems with the economy when you're walking around that place.

Agreed. The economy is bad right now, but bad comes in different degrees. Here's an interesting quote in an article posted at Slate.Com, called, "How Much Would You Pay for a Job Offer? TheLadders, a job search site, will guarantee you a job offer if you meet its qualifications and pay $2,500. Is that a good deal?"

A 2010 study by Andrew Sum, Ishwar Khatiwada, and Sheila Palma at Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies demonstrates the point: The recession hit all workers, but it did not hit them equally. According to the study, the unemployment rate topped 30 percent in the lowest income decile. For workers in the second-highest decile, those making about $100,000 a year, the unemployment rate was only 4 percent. And those in the highest-income bracket, making more than $138,700 a year, the jobless rate was just 3 percent.

The good news for Detroit is that people in those demographics are gradually taking an interest in migrating into the city, which is good. We can't rebuild a city's tax base without attracting the return of high-income residents.

bartock · July-05-11, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by rencense

oh how i hate to rain on the parade. I hope this is a successful venture but I have my doubts. cmon, neinman marcus and saks fifth avenue!? I'm a bit surprised those are even still open at somerset. Just like you can't out suburb the suburbs you cant out somerset somerset. Maybe someday downtown can be an elite shopping district but in the meantime you gotta walk before you run

I'm afraid there won't be much demand for obscenely priced clothing downtown and will backfire setting a bad precedent for retail downtown. Downtown is filled with cool people but I think most of them are of fairly modest means. I could see a scaled back kohls or old navy doing quite well. You may even pull of a gap/ something a little more upscale. Im sure lots of people downtown want to do some clothes shopping without driving out to some mall but not if it means buying stuff thats ignorantly expensive.

Maybe im wrong and I hope they do ok, i just hope they did their homework on this one.

This IS their homework.

agrahlma · July-05-11, 07:57 AM

Great news for Detroit – bad news for me! This is only a few blocks from my place – I need to figure out a way to keep this a secret from my wife – LOL!!!

**Danny** · July-05-11, 10:06 AM

Finally some much needed mini anchor store retail since Hudson's left its flagship store and merge with Marshall Field's and then merge with Macy's and Kern's and Crowleys closed. I hope this temporary mini stores works.

**stasu1213** · July-05-11, 10:33 AM

GM Headquarters should try this experiment in their Winter Gardens. Security will have to be tight on Merchants row during this period. My a private security force should be hired if Pugh and co don't have the money to have police to patrol heavily on foot or on bicycles

**adamjab19** · July-05-11, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

GM Headquarters should try this experiment in their Winter Gardens. Security will have to be tight on Merchants row during this period. My a private security force should be hired if Pugh and co don't have the money to have police to patrol heavily on foot or on bicycles

Yes. Like eastern market nowadays. I have always felt safe there but the addition of the private security over the past year or so it feels even safer!

**hamtown mike** · July-05-11, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by rencense

...Maybe someday downtown can be an elite shopping district but in the meantime you gotta walk before you run...

I'd certainly call three days a month walking before running.

**j to the jeremy** · July-05-11, 11:23 AM

Or crawling before walking...

**bailey** · July-05-11, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

GM Headquarters should try this experiment in their Winter Gardens. Security will have to be tight on Merchants row during this period. My a private security force should be hired if Pugh and co don't have the money to have police to patrol heavily on foot or on bicycles

They did. The second GM stopped subsidizing retail Brooks Brothers left....which is the second time BB left downtown. Jos A Bank remains... to echo someone above, perhaps Needless Markup, Coach or kate spade is a bit to ...optimistic? The Gap, maybe even a Banana might work though. and yes... 3 days a week in a temporary space is definitely "walking".