?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

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loftguy
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?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by loftguy »

Collectively, we have a lot of eyes on downtown.  What retail is missing? 

OK, the grocery store.  It's coming, but this board has often noted the need for little grocers.  (shall we advertise KC in west coast Korean papers?)

What else?  Video store, or are they a dinosaur?  Music shop?  Office supplies?  A kosher restaurant?

For those to whom it applies, you may put on your foil hats for this exercise.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by KCMax »

Bookstore.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by staubio »

Music store: yes, absolutely.
Consumer electronics, like a mini-Best Buy, for random supplies
Casual clothing and necessities like socks, underwear and belts

Most importantly, we need to support the places we do have an encourage longer hours.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by jlbomega »

Wal Mart has a neighborhood market concept which is about a quarter of the size of a supercenter that sells essentials (I do not believe they sell cloths and they have limited food options). 
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by advocrat »

Months back I started a thread entitled "Proposition, a downtown Macy's department store." Some thought I wanted only Macy's but what I wanted to see was ideas about where a downtown department store could be located.  I think we need a downtown department store.

This store could be a Walmart or a Target. Sound crazy? Atlanta has an urban version of a Walmart (or it might be a Target)-it is definitely not a big box.  Downtown residents need a place to buy an ironing board, picture frames, underwear, toys, pots and pans and toasters, an ergonomic chair and so on.

I would like it to be a Macy's, but I really think we just need another department store.

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elextendo
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by elextendo »

Hmm we dont even have a computer store repair center..maybe a geek squad,drive through coffee hut(not shop)gun store?ok.. laundrymart/bar..pool hall,just a couple ideas..
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by Cyclops »

elextendo wrote: Hmm we dont even have a computer store repair center..maybe a geek squad,drive through coffee hut(not shop)gun store?ok.. laundrymart/bar..pool hall,just a couple ideas..
River City Solutions in the river market does a great job on Macs, although not everyone uses a Mac for some reason. :D A computer store like Micro Center would be cool. I use a lot of printer ink, paper, cd's and dvd's.  Office supply!

A mini Best Buy type store would be great idea too.  In the burbs these big boxes don't open until 10 so I can never get to one unless it's late in the day.

Also, there was a combo grocery / deli / liquor / salad, etc. place in Atlanta called Eatzees (or something like that) that would be great addition downtown. They had both prepared meals / salads as well as several stations where you could get a variety of meals prepared while you wait. In and out pretty quick. They also had a place where you could sit and eat.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by Brodees »

loftguy wrote:
What else?  ... A kosher restaurant?
An authentic kosher deli -- a la Carnegie/Stage/Katz's in New York -- would be fan-fucking-tastic.  Tally one for me in the Best Buy categorie, too -- a consumer electronics store would make life much easier.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by KCTigerFan »

Bookstore. 
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by Stockton »

A Best Buy would be amazing, though a Radio Shack would serve well. There is one on Independence Ave, why not downtown?
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by KansasCityCraka »

Radio Shack isn't really doing well right now, in fact they are closing quite a few of their stores in the metro area. A Best Buy would be great but I could see a smaller store going in such as a Office Max or a Office Depot.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by elextendo »

I think BestBuy,Microcenter, should have a small,mid sized or multi floor store in the downtown.. Home depo/walmarts are doing it in other cities..They fit the feel of the location.
A good deli is always nice. I would like to see a design/center  of some sort in the east xrds open.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by staubio »

Cyclops wrote: River City Solutions in the river market does a great job on Macs, although not everyone uses a Mac for some reason. :D A computer store like Micro Center would be cool. I use a lot of printer ink, paper, cd's and dvd's.  Office supply!

A mini Best Buy type store would be great idea too.  In the burbs these big boxes don't open until 10 so I can never get to one unless it's late in the day.

Also, there was a combo grocery / deli / liquor / salad, etc. place in Atlanta called Eatzees (or something like that) that would be great addition downtown. They had both prepared meals / salads as well as several stations where you could get a variety of meals prepared while you wait. In and out pretty quick. They also had a place where you could sit and eat.
There is a PC repair place on Admiral and Grand (south of the Grand Slam parking lot), though the name of it escapes me.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by greentara »

Wow, I never thought about it, but I can't believe that there isn't an Office Max or the like downtown. I know most DT businesses probably order from Corporate Express or the like, but still.

Screw a downtown Wal-Mart, no matter what the size/concept. A Target might be awesome, though. In Chicago, there's like a CVS on every corner. DTKC has one? I agree that a bookstore (or few!) seem essential, and are good components to encourage street life. Do any of the coffee shops downtown have adjacent space that would be good for this? Also, (female perspective here) I know that there used to be a day spa concept around Petticoat Lane. Is this still around, and does anyone know how it's doing? I'd think it would go over gangbusters for a lunchtime mani/pedi/chair massage, or for the growing residential population. The closest competition would be Crown Center, I believe.

ETA: Thinking about it, I have to say boutique, boutique, boutique. There are a few in the Xroads, but there need to be more, and in the CBD too. Place 'em adjacent to lunch restaurants, and bring back some lunchtime shopping downtown! Cute accessories, exclusive and local label clothes, maybe a Bath & Body Works or better, Perfect Scents-type emporium carrying several lines. People always need to pick up last-minute coworker gifts or some such stuff.
Last edited by greentara on Sun May 20, 2007 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by Tosspot »

greentara wrote: Also, (female perspective here) I know that there used to be a day spa concept around Petticoat Lane. Is this still around, and does anyone know how it's doing? I'd think it would go over gangbusters for a lunchtime mani/pedi/chair massage, or for the growing residential population. The closest competition would be Crown Center, I believe.
I think it's still there, though I don't pay much attention to day spas and women's fitness clubs. Curves is what you're recalling.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by greentara »

Tosspot wrote: I think it's still there, though I don't pay much attention to day spas and women's fitness clubs. Curves is what you're recalling.
No, it was something else, near there though. I can't for the life recall its name, but it was more a salon/spa than a workout facility.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by kc-vino »

In regards to Office Max, we are forgetting that their is a Kinkos downtown next to Oppenstein Park.  I've always thought that a movie rental in the Rivermarket would fly.  Add a convenience store to it with the basics and you have a great concept.  The nearest place to rent a movie is the library but very few people partake and your already limited.  If you stick to a brick and mortar place your dealing with either midtown or north KC.  Clothes shopping of any sorts is so limited downtown.  I've always said something to the degree of Express would do great downtown.  For men you don't even have an express in the urban core (Plaza is only woman).  And Express (or places similar) have a following and have enough pieces that the average person can not only afford something quite often but their variety allows for a new visit every couple of weeks if it is close by. 
Put your money where your mouth is...live downtown.  Get out of the car and walk, shop, and play in the city.  Don't bring a suburban attitude/lifestyle to the city, rather be apart of changing the urban fabric for the better.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by lock+load »

kc-vino wrote: And Express (or places similar) have a following and have enough pieces that the average person can not only afford something quite often but their variety allows for a new visit every couple of weeks if it is close by. 
We must have different definitions of the word "afford." 
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by kc-vino »

lock+load wrote: We must have different definitions of the word "afford." 
When Express has its four sales a year you can get shirts, pants and dress shirts cheaper than two movie tickets combined.  And the average dispensable cash for downtown residents, convention/hotel visitors, and DT workers is definitely the target market in terms of the correct socioeconomic group.  If Express can survive in Metro North it can flourish Downtown.  Put a store like this on Broadway close to the Quality Hill (around the Quaff) and all residents could walk to it and it would corner the market and give a different alternative to shopping in the high rent entertainment district.  Also think of the exposure on Broadway!!! Do you have any clue how many people cross by that street getting on highways or going to the northland.  It could work, and be very successful. 

Downtown currently lacks ANY big name retail in terms of clothing.  Whom ever gets in first could make a great name for itself.  For any store that is fashion forward (selling to those types that frequent the downtown scene) it would be great PR for them to say "visit our downtown location"...to those that care this statement in cause shows boldness that all the other mall and suburb dwelling "hipster" brands lack badly.  I'm with the comment about a department store.  If its down here first it would make a killing.  Although I would rather see 4 more boutiques and two other medium sized stores (Banana Republic, Guess, Express, etc) in different locations downtown than one department store. 
Put your money where your mouth is...live downtown.  Get out of the car and walk, shop, and play in the city.  Don't bring a suburban attitude/lifestyle to the city, rather be apart of changing the urban fabric for the better.
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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Post by eclair »

I would like to see-
-Trader Joes, in addition to other specialty food grocers to supplement the coming supermarket.
-hip used clothing store that does men and women and accepts trades and buys and perhaps sells designer stuff on consignment as well.  Maybe a more upscale AZ Trading company, more geared towards downtown professionals.
-an internet cafe type place where people can use computers to do email, etc. but also to download music.
-definitely a Target/Macys type catch-all department store.  NO Walmart!
-more boutiques with interesting and preferably locally created gifts, wedding presents, shower presents, housewarmings, etc.
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