miketoronto
Oct 25, 2007, 11:48 PM
The following article is from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. I am posting it, because Saks is an interesting story in downtown Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh for the last couple years has been trying to get stores to open downtown, even paying the price to get two department stores to open. Even with city money these two stores closed.
Yet Saks this whole time has been doing fine in downtown Pittsburgh. The city does not give Saks any money, and things seem to be doing fine. Sometimes spending the money is not the answer.
-----------------------------------
SAKS TO STAY OPEN SUNDAYS DOWNTOWN
TERESA F. LINDEMAN, PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Pittsburgh Post - Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pa.: Sep 8, 2007. pg. A.1
Saks Fifth Avenue is offering a vote of confidence in Downtown -- and keeping its fingers crossed.
The luxury department store on Smithfield Street, which long has kept its doors closed on Sunday except during the holiday shopping season, will fling them open once more in hopes there areenough customers to justify the decision.
"We think the time is right with all of the exciting things going on Downtown," said Karen Peter, general manager of the region's only Saks store.
The decision to expand its hours marks a reversal of fortunes for Downtown retail. Pittsburgh spent years embroiled in debates over proposals to bring in large retail developments to spur Downtown development, only to see few results beyond the failure of two department stores that had been lured in to anchor the strategy.
City leaders then switched their focus toward housing and office development. Recent projects in the city core include residential projects along the two rivers, PNC's office tower on Fifth Avenue as well as the conversion of the former Lazarus department store building into office, commercial and residential space. Although some projects include retail components, the focus mainly has been on attracting restaurants and groceries that make living Downtown more feasible.
Saks officials are encouraged by the new direction of Downtown development. "We wanted to be part of ushering in the new phase," said Ms. Peters.
Downtown retailers have long faced certain hurdles, including the price of parking and the availability of so many stores elsewhere in the region. In part spurred on by a number of city parking lots that now offer $5 evening and weekend rates, enough people have been willing to make the effort to come Downtown on weekends that Saturday already is the strongest shopping day for Saks.
That true for the Jos. A. Bank clothing store across the street, as well, said manager Richard Istvan. He's still not sure the shopping environment Downtown is all that it could be at the moment -- too much construction -- but he predicted in two years things could be "tremendous."
Having his big department store neighbor open on Sunday could bring in some business but he's even more interested in seeing dining establishments open near his store. "People come in and they want to go somewhere out to lunch," he said.
Ms. Peter also is paying attention to the restaurants. She cited the opening of the new Capital Grille in the former Lazarus store on Fifth, which sits just around the corner from Saks, as well as a new brunch offering at the Omni William Penn Hotel as encouraging developments in bringing more people Downtown.
Retailers also may get extra attention next year from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. After a couple of years focusing more on other areas, the non-profit booster group is likely to start gathering information on the retail market and discussing opportunities to make it stronger, said Michael E. Edwards, president and chief executive officer.
Despite the high profile closings of the Lazarus store on Fifth in 2004, followed shortly by the Lord & Taylor store at the corner of Fifth and Smithfield, the city core still has a significant retail base, said Mr. Edwards.
In addition to Saks, the city lays claims to a massive Macy's department store that once was the flagship for Kaufmann's. That store already is open to Sunday shoppers from noon to 5 p.m., the same hours that Saks will offer.
Among the things the partnership could do to bring more customers into Downtown would be to help people plan expeditions that take advantage of several amenities, from dining to shopping to theater to walking trails along the rivers.
But the timing has to be right, said Mr. Edwards. "We want to make sure when we invite people down, we can deliver."
Pittsburgh for the last couple years has been trying to get stores to open downtown, even paying the price to get two department stores to open. Even with city money these two stores closed.
Yet Saks this whole time has been doing fine in downtown Pittsburgh. The city does not give Saks any money, and things seem to be doing fine. Sometimes spending the money is not the answer.
-----------------------------------
SAKS TO STAY OPEN SUNDAYS DOWNTOWN
TERESA F. LINDEMAN, PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Pittsburgh Post - Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pa.: Sep 8, 2007. pg. A.1
Saks Fifth Avenue is offering a vote of confidence in Downtown -- and keeping its fingers crossed.
The luxury department store on Smithfield Street, which long has kept its doors closed on Sunday except during the holiday shopping season, will fling them open once more in hopes there areenough customers to justify the decision.
"We think the time is right with all of the exciting things going on Downtown," said Karen Peter, general manager of the region's only Saks store.
The decision to expand its hours marks a reversal of fortunes for Downtown retail. Pittsburgh spent years embroiled in debates over proposals to bring in large retail developments to spur Downtown development, only to see few results beyond the failure of two department stores that had been lured in to anchor the strategy.
City leaders then switched their focus toward housing and office development. Recent projects in the city core include residential projects along the two rivers, PNC's office tower on Fifth Avenue as well as the conversion of the former Lazarus department store building into office, commercial and residential space. Although some projects include retail components, the focus mainly has been on attracting restaurants and groceries that make living Downtown more feasible.
Saks officials are encouraged by the new direction of Downtown development. "We wanted to be part of ushering in the new phase," said Ms. Peters.
Downtown retailers have long faced certain hurdles, including the price of parking and the availability of so many stores elsewhere in the region. In part spurred on by a number of city parking lots that now offer $5 evening and weekend rates, enough people have been willing to make the effort to come Downtown on weekends that Saturday already is the strongest shopping day for Saks.
That true for the Jos. A. Bank clothing store across the street, as well, said manager Richard Istvan. He's still not sure the shopping environment Downtown is all that it could be at the moment -- too much construction -- but he predicted in two years things could be "tremendous."
Having his big department store neighbor open on Sunday could bring in some business but he's even more interested in seeing dining establishments open near his store. "People come in and they want to go somewhere out to lunch," he said.
Ms. Peter also is paying attention to the restaurants. She cited the opening of the new Capital Grille in the former Lazarus store on Fifth, which sits just around the corner from Saks, as well as a new brunch offering at the Omni William Penn Hotel as encouraging developments in bringing more people Downtown.
Retailers also may get extra attention next year from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. After a couple of years focusing more on other areas, the non-profit booster group is likely to start gathering information on the retail market and discussing opportunities to make it stronger, said Michael E. Edwards, president and chief executive officer.
Despite the high profile closings of the Lazarus store on Fifth in 2004, followed shortly by the Lord & Taylor store at the corner of Fifth and Smithfield, the city core still has a significant retail base, said Mr. Edwards.
In addition to Saks, the city lays claims to a massive Macy's department store that once was the flagship for Kaufmann's. That store already is open to Sunday shoppers from noon to 5 p.m., the same hours that Saks will offer.
Among the things the partnership could do to bring more customers into Downtown would be to help people plan expeditions that take advantage of several amenities, from dining to shopping to theater to walking trails along the rivers.
But the timing has to be right, said Mr. Edwards. "We want to make sure when we invite people down, we can deliver."