The Retail Thread

[RainDog]

We're getting a Zara eh? That's fantastics, I've been looking for a place to pick up a pair of trousers with a knee level crotch seem. Should go nicely with my new jacket.

[scleeb]

Originally Posted by RainDog

We're getting a Zara eh? That's fantastics, I've been looking for a place to pick up a pair of trousers with a knee level crotch seem. Should go nicely with my new jacket.

OMFG.... that's absolutely hilarious. I literally snorted out loud. Those pants are ridiculous.

[urbanlife]

Clicking on the Zara links is definitely a must in RainDog's post.

[Rob Nob]

When I walk through there, it feels like the spaces they have filled above ground level are not consistently active; office, restaurant, movies, bowling? Even with full occupancy at these uses, it feels more empty than you'd think during shopping hours.

[cab]

Turn it into offices and move the remaining shops to the street. We've outgrown this "mall"

[maccoinnich]

Any guess who it is?

New Retail Coming Soon to Downtown!



Congrats to Urban Works Brokers Dan Bozich and Rob Moneyhan for leasing 15,000 SF in the Meier & Frank Building to a prominent international retailer; this will be the retailer’s first location in the Pacific Northwest!

Two spaces are still available in the Meier & Frank Building, for more info, check out the listing here.

...via Urban Works Blog.

[downtownpdx]

Very cool! I've no idea who it is, but good to hear they're securing a major tenant. There are some big gaps in the retail scene lately but I know some are just because of renovations. The 10th/Yamhill garage, the former Ross/DD's building, 4th/Washington fenced off, two corners of Morrison/Broadway, the forever-empty Morrison/Park -- I know internet shopping is hurting brick and mortar retail, but with this economy, seems downtown oughta have fewer empty storefronts. But this Meier and Frank lease sounds great.

[urbanlife]

For the love of god, please be Uniqlo, this is the perfect location for them. Except that they already have a location in Bellevue....so it probably isn't them.

[scottpdx78]

My guess is Primark. They have a handful of stores on the east coast and looking to expand.

[babs]

Originally Posted by scottpdx78

My guess is Primark. They have a handful of stores on the east coast and looking to expand.

It's possible but the average Primark is 40,000 sq ft. The space is only 15,000 sq ft.

[Derek]

Topshop?

[edirp]

Muji

[MNTimberjack]

Originally Posted by babs

It's possible but the average Primark is 40,000 sq ft. The space is only 15,000 sq ft.

I've heard the possibility of Adidas looking for a flagship location. This might be the right place given it's proximity to the Nike store. Also, they don't truly have a PNW location which fits the bill.

[Mr. Walch]

Originally Posted by edirp

Muji

Please be so!

[MarkDaMan]

Originally Posted by MNTimberjack

I've heard the possibility of Adidas looking for a flagship location. This might be the right place given it's proximity to the Nike store. Also, they don't truly have a PNW location which fits the bill.

Agreed!

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by edirp

Muji

If this was a guess then apparently you guessed very well.

[downtownpdx]

Great news, this looks like a perfect fit here!

[Tanaka07]

http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/ind...n_first_o.html

[maccoinnich]

Muji's pop-up gives Portlanders a sneak peek at what's to come (Photos)

While the 11,000-square-foot Muji store in the old Meier & Frank Building won't open for another couple of months, the Japanese retailer has opened a nearby pop-up shop to give Portlanders a preview of what's on the way.

"The pop-up store is an introduction for people who don't know Muji very well," said Ichigo Sugiura, manager of the Muji marketing department. "It's a great way to express what Muji is."

The pop-up shop, which opened last Friday, is at 625 S.W. 10th Ave. It's filled with about 300 different items that Muji sells, including stationery, pens, clothing, accessories and furnishings. A full-size Muji store typically has about 4,000 items for sale.

The company, which currently has 15 stores in the U.S. — and nearly 800 around the world — is betting big on Portland. The 11,000-square-foot store planned for the Meier & Frank Building will be Muji's second-largest in the U.S. It will be on the ground floor of the building along Southwest 5th Avenue.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

[maccoinnich]

Retail space opens ahead of shopping rush



A new retail store will open tomorrow in the historic Meier & Frank Building in downtown Portland. Japanese retailer MUJI will debut the 11,000-square-foot flagship store, its first location in the Pacific Northwest, in a ground-floor space fronting Southwest Fifth Avenue.

The opening follows a three-month tenant improvement project by contractor R&H Construction, which was tasked with completing the build-out in time for a Black Friday opening. Crews worked long hours to meet that deadline.

“We shaved off a few weeks by working around the clock and expediting the schedule,” said Adam Rainey, R&H Construction director of business development; he oversaw the project from an executive level. “It was kind of the only way we were able to accomplish it.”

The space was designed by Super Potato, a Tokyo-based firm responsible for producing the store concept. Bora Architects served as the architect of record, adapting Super Potato’s concept package into a complete plan set.

...continues at the DJC (no paywall).