Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Did anyone else see Macy's announcement today that their top 150 stores out of 800 will be rebranded as a platinum store and their merchandise lines will vastly improve and their clearance sections will be greatly reduced? Question.......does Town Center make the cut? I always heard it was the second or third Kauffmanns every year but that was a MUCH smaller chain of stores than Macys. Anyone have any insight as to the Charleston's stores level of standing in the chain or even Town Center's success in the overall scheme of things?
That would be a nice grab, though I've always gotten the impression that Town Center Macy's lags a bit behind the store in Barboursville. That's all relative, of course, and there's no reason that both couldn't be good enough performers in an objective sense to make the cut.
As to Town Center itself, it's historically a pretty successful and well-performing mall, and has even moved a bit upscale in the past few years. Here lately, though, it's taken a few lumps in quick succession from chains that have shut down nationwide (DEB, Radio Shack, Delia's).
yeah but isn't there something like 700k people in the Charleston Huntington metro area.......alot of doctors, lawyers, engineers, government officials, banking, and a wealth of tourists all downtown.......it would be the only store in WV obviously to be more upscale.......Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton etc are some of the rumored brands........otherwise everyone just goes to Columbus Cincy or Pittsburgh. Not everyone in the Tri State has fallen on hard times. I think if Macys upgraded and CTC was able to attract a few stores like Williams Sonoma, Banana Republic, AnnTaylor, Armani Exchange, H&M, UniGlo, Diesel, etc it would keep more dollars in the Kanawha Valley and stop the drain to the out of state malls.
Last edited by CRWMSPPGH; 05-15-2015 at 05:07 PM..
Reason: added additional sentences
yeah but isn't there something like 700k people in the Charleston Huntington metro area.......alot of doctors, lawyers, engineers, government officials, banking, and a wealth of tourists all downtown.......it would be the only store in WV obviously to be more upscale.......Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton etc are some of the rumored brands........otherwise everyone just goes to Columbus Cincy or Pittsburgh. Not everyone in the Tri State has fallen on hard times. I think if Macys upgraded and CTC was able to attract a few stores like Williams Sonoma, Banana Republic, AnnTaylor, Armani Exchange, H&M, UniGlo, Diesel, etc it would keep more dollars in the Kanawha Valley and stop the drain to the out of state malls.
More like 240,000 in Charleston and another 365,000 in Huntington.
However, the demographics of the area simply don't mesh for high end retail. The small base that does exist for it can either travel the fairly short distance to Columbus or simply order it online.
Certainly the Town Center Macy's could be a platinum store. The Town Center is becoming more upscale and has already attracted some nicer stores, and with some newly made empty spaces we could see even more. I know that Macys is profitable. I'd personally like to see some more recreational based stores like Eddie Bauer, Colombia, North Face. Etc... I know that the mall has also been involved in trying to attract Apple.
More like 240,000 in Charleston and another 365,000 in Huntington.
However, the demographics of the area simply don't mesh for high end retail. The small base that does exist for it can either travel the fairly short distance to Columbus or simply order it online.
Well Charleston would have over 300k and Huntington somewhere under 300k, but the 2010 census reconfigured the metro to where Putnam county was given to Huntington despite commuter stats which would obviously lean Charleston's way. The issue was an undeveloped hill east of Scott Depot, which by the way is slowly developing and not a reason to give true Charleston suburbs to another city.
As for high end shopping, I have seen much smaller places having nicer stores. Charleston has the foundation in place to be a regional shopping hub, but lacks the vision to go out and grab upscale companies.
Well Charleston would have over 300k and Huntington somewhere under 300k, but the 2010 census reconfigured the metro to where Putnam county was given to Huntington despite commuter stats which would obviously lean Charleston's way. The issue was an undeveloped hill east of Scott Depot, which by the way is slowly developing and not a reason to give true Charleston suburbs to another city.
As for high end shopping, I have seen much smaller places having nicer stores. Charleston has the foundation in place to be a regional shopping hub, but lacks the vision to go out and grab upscale companies.
I believe Charleston can be a nice regional shopping hub. Why not? In spite of the small size, it is the population and business center for the region. The so called "metro" designations are mostly arbitrary, which that last census vividly pointed out. Here in Morgantown, we're 4 miles from Green County, PA and a huge portion of that county works and shops here but we don't get to claim it. Same with Fayette County, PA which is only 6 miles away, as well as Garrett County, MD (28 miles away). The arbitrary designations are based on county lines... not on actual circumstances. I'm sure it is the same there. Those Census folks haven't a clue about what is really going on. I believe they actually respond to political issues as much as economic ones. In North Central WV we are actually basically one economic unit with Fairmont and Clarksburg, but Clarksburg fights tooth and nail to keep its census autonomy in order to get special funding for their own airport and projects they fear they would lose otherwise. You never know what to expect.
Charleston could absolutely support some nice, upscale stores.
I believe Charleston can be a nice regional shopping hub. Why not? In spite of the small size, it is the population and business center for the region. The so called "metro" designations are mostly arbitrary, which that last census vividly pointed out. Here in Morgantown, we're 4 miles from Green County, PA and a huge portion of that county works and shops here but we don't get to claim it. Same with Fayette County, PA which is only 6 miles away, as well as Garrett County, MD (28 miles away). The arbitrary designations are based on county lines... not on actual circumstances. I'm sure it is the same there. Those Census folks haven't a clue about what is really going on. I believe they actually respond to political issues as much as economic ones.
The problem is that a lot of the software and algorithms (mainly ESRI BAO) companies use when siting new locations are based around metro areas.
And for high end stores, there is no politicking them into coming in, if the location hits all of the boxes in their algorithm, then they'll move in. If not, then they'll pass. It's pretty cut and dry. I think the most famous example of this is the process Apple uses to locate their stores, in which they have a list of peer stores that must also be present at the proposed location or in the vicinity.
The problem is that a lot of the software and algorithms (mainly ESRI BAO) companies use when siting new locations are based around metro areas.
And for high end stores, there is no politicking them into coming in, if the location hits all of the boxes in their algorithm, then they'll move in. If not, then they'll pass. It's pretty cut and dry. I think the most famous example of this is the process Apple uses to locate their stores, in which they have a list of peer stores that must also be present at the proposed location or in the vicinity.
Yeah, I see what you mean. I think we haven't gotten some desirable store brands for the same reason. Part of the problem is the guys who make those decisions, many of whom live in or around New York City, have never been west of the Hudson so they have no clue as to what is really going on out there in what they call "yee haw" country (anything west of the Hudson out to the West Coast). I know this for a fact since I lived among and worked with those bozos for several years. They are the most provincial people in the country. They're willing to cut a little slack for their cousins living on the "island" in Chicago, but that's about the extent of it until you get to Los Angeles and San Francisco to them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
