Metro Airport to get new retail

**dtowncitylover** · December-11-12, 11:18 PM

While we wait for downtown to get its own retail, if ever, it looks like Metro Airport has landed some very nice retail for McNamara Terminal. Brooks Brothers, Brookstone, Pandora, and Johnston & Murphy are some of the retailers coming. Feels like a mini-Somerset Collection.

Here's the press release [[in PDF)...

http://www.metroairport.com/uploads/...tings_2012.pdf

**Genesyxx** · December-12-12, 01:19 AM

that's exactly what it sounds like. Should work out nice for the businessman/woman on the go and in need of last minute anniversary gifts..

**DetroitPlanner** · December-12-12, 08:30 AM

Wasn't Brooks Brothers there all along?

**Hermod** · December-12-12, 09:09 AM

Last week, I thought I saw a Brookstone in DTW.

**Bham1982** · December-12-12, 09:27 AM

There has always been a Brooks Brothers and Brookstone in McNamara.

Maybe the geniuses who built that second terminal could find some tenants for their half-empty building. There's no traffic, so many of the retail outlets have never been utilized.

McNamara has heavy traffic, though, and has been well-tenanted since Day 1.

JVB · December-12-12, 09:32 AM

From the press release:

"The new McNamara Terminal retail program will introduce internationally-recognized brands including The Body Shop, Spanish fashion label Desigual, EA SPORTS, The Economist, Johnston & Murphy, The New York Times, PANDORA, Spanx, Tim Horton’s and The Wall Street Journal while also reintroducing popular existing stores Brighton Collectibles, Brooks Brothers, Brookstone, Caribou Coffee, CNBC Smartshop, Erwin Pearl, PGA TOUR Shop and Starbucks in completely re-designed venues."

Hope that clears up the confusion.

**bailey** · December-12-12, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

There has always been a Brooks Brothers and Brookstone in McNamara.

Maybe the geniuses who built that second terminal could find some tenants for their half-empty building. There's no traffic, so many of the retail outlets have never been utilized.

McNamara has heavy traffic, though, and has been well-tenanted since Day 1.

I don't know if it's really their fault it's empty/struggling. post 9/11 silly ass security is the reason non travelers can't get past security. DTW was designed for a time when you could go to the gate/wait with your family/freinds you were putting on the flight. Maybe you all get lunch, do a little shopping, or have a few beers while waiting out a delay. IIRC catering ONLY to the ticketed traveler was never the plan. the fact that they've been this successful [[or convinced these brands to subsidize their outposts at the Airport) is kind of surprising.

**dtowncitylover** · December-12-12, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by JVB

From the press release:

"The new McNamara Terminal retail program will introduce internationally-recognized brands including The Body Shop, Spanish fashion label Desigual, EA SPORTS, The Economist, Johnston & Murphy, The New York Times, PANDORA, Spanx, Tim Horton’s and The Wall Street Journal while also reintroducing popular existing stores Brighton Collectibles, Brooks Brothers, Brookstone, Caribou Coffee, CNBC Smartshop, Erwin Pearl, PGA TOUR Shop and Starbucks in completely re-designed venues."

Hope that clears up the confusion.

Ok thank you. So does it mean those stores were refurbished? Or did they come back? I took that bold-ed statement to mean they came back after leaving. I flew out of McNamara once many years ago and don't remember the stores.

**Hermod** · December-12-12, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Ok thank you. So does it mean those stores were refurbished? Or did they come back? I took that bold-ed statement to mean they came back after leaving. I flew out of McNamara once many years ago and don't remember the stores.

DTW is significantly different than it was a few years ago. It used to be the "pits" and now is quite nice [[for a US airport that is).

**Malcove Magnesia** · December-13-12, 08:13 AM

I'm bummed they're closing the Gayles Chocolates outpost at DTW at the end of the year. I always thought Gayles was a step up from the usual [[and boring) See's or Godiva boxes you'll find on offer at every other airport.

**Onthe405** · December-13-12, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Maybe the geniuses who built that second terminal could find some tenants for their half-empty building. There's no traffic, so many of the retail outlets have never been utilized.

McNamara has heavy traffic, though, and has been well-tenanted since Day 1.

In my estimation, there are three reasons North Terminal tenants are so sparse:

As bailey points out---the number of potential customers just isn't there since it's limited to ticketed passengers only [[although this also impacts McNamara)
Of the two, McNamara/Delta is the only "hub" terminal of any consequence. For about 65-70% of the passengers, Detroit is not their destination. They are simply changing Delta planes at DTW on their way somewhere else--and a portion of these are international travelers. This creates a substantially larger & more well-heeled customer base than the North Terminal.
[[Related) since Delta basically has a monopoly at DTW, what few other airlines serve the city are cast off into the North Terminal, which is basically "overflow". Since DTW is not a hub for United, American, USAirways, etc, they fly into Detroit as a destination in smaller/commuter aircraft from their respective hubs--further diminishing the foot traffic.