upscale retail in downtown Detroit

[Mind field]

This article states to look for "Tiffany & Co., Michael Kors, Apple, Trader Joe’s, and others to add outlets along or near the lower Woodward Corridor, between Grand Circus Park and Campus Martius Park, in the next three years."

Those are some very specific names. It will be interesting to see how retail on lower woodward evolves over the years.

​http://www.dbusiness.com/January-Feb.../#.VUAhuyFViko

[SpartanDawg]

wow, that's quite the optimistic article. That would be pretty incredible stuff to see those retailers in Detroit. I really think that a Trader Joe's and apple store would be next.

Trader Joes could definitely serve the growing downtown residential population since there is a lack of actual grocers downtown, and with all the new apartments in the pipeline it's definitely needed.

An apple store makes too much sense, i wouldn't be surprised to see them first. Wayne state nearby, all the workers downtown every day. grosse pointe, dearborn... all those people would come to that location.

If an apple store does indeed come downtown.. there would be a RUSH of people to follow, they generate insane amounts of foot traffic around their stores

[mikeg19]

I hate to be the downer, but nothing in the article cites any connection with Detroit to those retailers. Yea, I get it, it's nice that someone thinks that those retailers would/could setup shop in downtown. It's a hell of a turn from not having any grocery stores to a Tiffany & Co store on Woodward. But I think before we start throwing out the names of Burberry and Prada, there needs to be some serious foot traffic down there all day long. It's coming, but not yet.

[dtowncitylover]

Even for a Detroit booster like me, that's an optimistic article. Almost too optimistic. But I'd still prefer to shop downtown than Somerset any day.

[iheartthed]

I get Apple, I kinda get Michael Kors [[his brand competes with Varvatos in high end mens apparel), but Tiffany's seems like an extreme reach. I don't see it, at all. Tiffany's is way more of a conservative operation than the others. They won't be downtown until Prada and Louis Vuitton show up.

[southen]

if they get sweetheart leases from gilbert with the ability to validate parking at gilbert garages i could see some big names enter the market earlier than you would think. regardless though, the next 2-5 years will be very interesting and excited for detroit retail.

[dtowncitylover]

I get Apple, I kinda get Michael Kors [[his brand competes with Varvatos in high end mens apparel), but Tiffany's seems like an extreme reach. I don't see it, at all. Tiffany's is way more of a conservative operation than the others. They won't be downtown until Prada and Louis Vuitton show up.

You'd think we'd be set just with a Jared's or Kay. Michael Kors though would be a good complement considering it's mostly a woman's brand.

[iheartthed]

You'd think we'd be set just with a Jared's or Kay.

TBH, I don't see those either, nor do I see what prestige downtown Detroit would get from it. I think Gilbert's aim is to attract high profile yet edgy and/or trendsetting brands to downtown. He's aiming for SoHo rather than Magnificent Mile. If I am reading his intentions correctly then I happen to think he's right on the money. So here's my list of what I think are candidates to go downtown:

Apple Store [[I have a feeling this is already in the works)
All Saints
Bonobos showroom
Diesel
[[another) Shinola
Niketown/Converse store/Puma store

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I don't quite think Trader Joe's and Tiffany are in the same league.

[dtowncitylover]

TBH, I don't see those either, nor do I see what prestige downtown Detroit would get from it. I think Gilbert's aim is to attract high profile yet edgy and/or trendsetting brands to downtown. He's aiming for SoHo rather than Magnificent Mile. If I am reading his intentions correctly then I happen to think he's right on the money. So here's my list of what I think are candidates to go downtown:

Apple Store [[I have a feeling this is already in the works)
All Saints
Bonobos showroom
Diesel
[[another) Shinola
Niketown/Converse store/Puma store

Completely agree. All Saints, Bonobos, Zara, Benetton, and Barneys as an anchor would be a dream for a "Somerset Detroit".

[WPitonya]

I have stated this before, but a Uniqlo would go perfectly along Woodward. This is basic, very affordable clothing for men and women [[like H&M for people in their 30s and it's way better quality). As of now, they are only on the east and west coast.
Detroit needs to aim for the mid-tier retail before we start talking about Tiffany...

[Hypestyles]

most important quote:

Dye cautions that going forward, Michigan has to do a better job of diversifying its economy beyond manufacturing, which has long been a Michigan staple. “You don’t want to be a one-horse town; [[luckily), we’re seeing other sectors growing, like technology, health care, biosciences, and agriculture,” he says. “You need more financial services firms like Quicken Loans, and certainly the addition of the hockey arena and [[nearby) residential district [[slated to open in fall 2017), along with the improvements in the transportation sector are really helping Michigan and Detroit.”

City and regional leaders have got to do a far better job in enticing and recruiting investors and "shovel ready" development projects. They have to be way more aggressive in this, start looking at trending industries. You can't just assume that GM, Ford and Chrysler-Fiat are going to implement 5 more urban-based assembly plants here. Bring on the foreign firms. Mexico; Central and South America; India/South Asia; Japan/Phillippines, Southeast Asia; Africa; Middle East; Europe. Bring all of them. Make some deals with them- if they're willing to chip in some money for blight removal and transit development, maybe they can get a reduced rate on land or some short-term tax-incentives. Especially if the city wants to "repopulate", they can entice foreign companies to send some workers here.

[Jayp213]

TBH, I don't see those either, nor do I see what prestige downtown Detroit would get from it. I think Gilbert's aim is to attract high profile yet edgy and/or trendsetting brands to downtown. He's aiming for SoHo rather than Magnificent Mile. If I am reading his intentions correctly then I happen to think he's right on the money. So here's my list of what I think are candidates to go downtown:

Apple Store [[I have a feeling this is already in the works)
All Saints
Bonobos showroom
Diesel
[[another) Shinola
Niketown/Converse store/Puma store

I completely agree with this. Spot on!

[Detroit500]

iWork's love to see a local department store open up.

[rbdetsport]

iWork's love to see a local department store open up.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.. Open up The Bay. It would be their flagship US store. They could even have a partnership with a City Target and you have a fully functioning city block.

[dtowncitylover]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.. Open up The Bay. It would be their flagship US store. They could even have a partnership with a City Target and you have a fully functioning city block.

Now that they own Saks, I highly doubt they'd be interested in opening up shop in one of America's more volatile retail areas. There's a Bay in Windsor and Saks in Troy, metro Detroiters/Windsorites can go to. Saks is opening in Toronto because The Bay wants to compete with Holt Renfrew and Nordstrom Canada. The Bay is more Macy's and Carson's.

[Detroit500]

I would prefer a Lord & Taylor downtown to a saks... I doubt that HBC would open up their only non-Canadian Bay when they could just open up Lord & Taylor... [[The Bay and Lord & Taylor make up their "department store group", and Saks is a separate division)

That said... I doubt they would... but then again... Baker is really into real estate plays, so if the price was right...

Soft luxury is what I think downtown is most likely to see first. Barney's couldn't even make it in somerset... Unless the conference industry really took off in Vegas like proportions. Then.. maybe...

[401don]

I know this is a bit off topic but here in Canada Sears, along with selling their flagship Toronto area leases, has discontinued pretty much all of their hard goods. No more TV's, tools, etc. This may soon spell the end because they can't compete with the Bay selling mostly clothing. The U.S. stores are much larger per square foot but are they doing the same?

[Zacha341]

Well I hear their auto service is not what it use to be. I've not taken a car to Sears in well over a decade.

[dtowncitylover]

Barney's couldn't even make it in somerset...

It's not that Barneys couldn't make it at Somerset, it's that their Barneys CO-OP, which I believe what their Somerset store was, was discountued nationwide. Their mainline stores are larger so they probably couldn't expand at Somerset.

[Hypestyles]

there should be factory outlets for things like gym shoes and athletic gear.