The Retail Thread

[downtownpdx]

Nice to see another addition to Pioneer Place, as many downtown malls are struggling.

Anyone know about Nike’s plans, I hope they are moving back into a revamped space on Morrison as they’d announced.

[MarkDaMan]

Front page on the NYT's today:

Free link, I think...
https://www.nytimes.com/article/best-por...e=1.fU8.ePXM.cl8PMYRE3jr6&smid=url-share

Where to Eat

The 25 Best Restaurants in Portland, Ore., Right Now
The dining capital of the Pacific Northwest remains one of America’s great culinary cities.

[maccoinnich]

A couple small leases I noticed this morning: the former First Republic Bank in the American Bank Building (across from Pioneer Courthouse Square) is now a souvenir t-shirt shop Exploregon. The former Greenleaf Juice space is becoming a Whole Bowl. Neither are high profile leases, but together they fill in that prominent block face across from Pioneer Courthouse Square. I think that's the first time all of the ground floor retail in that building has been leased since 2016 or so.

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

Nice to see another addition to Pioneer Place, as many downtown malls are struggling.

Anyone know about Nike’s plans, I hope they are moving back into a revamped space on Morrison as they’d announced.

Definitely. I walk past it regularly and there's construction going on, but it looks like it's still a while away from reopening. I do hope Pioneer Place has a replacement tenant lined up for the temporary Nike / former J.Crew space.

[maccoinnich]

Men’s apparel store to close downtown flagship after 19 years, reopen around the corner



A men’s clothing store is closing its flagship after two decades in downtown Portland and starting a new chapter not too far away.

Billed on its website as the “largest men’s underwear store in North America,” underU4men debuted in Portland in 2006 — starting off inside the Morgan Building, then moving to its current spot at 800 S.W. Washington St. Its Oregon store is one of two locations for the underwear brand, which also operates a Seattle boutique.

After 19 years, the business will say goodbye to its 7,300-square-foot Southwest Washington Street shop as founder Steven Lien retires, he announced Friday.

“The Portland location has become far more than a retail store,” Lien, who also heads Travel Gay Portland, said in a statement. “It’s been a safe, stylish, and celebratory space for our LGBTQ+ community and allies.”

...continues at the Oregonian ($).

[maccoinnich]

Former Nike factory store in NE Portland may have a new tenant



The Northeast Portland factory store Nike shuttered two years ago may have a new tenant.

The Nike Community Store had been effectively closed to the public for nearly a year by the time the company confirmed its plans in September 2023. The factory store, located at 2650 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., was the first of its kind by Nike and had been a mainstay of its neighborhood since 1984.

Planet Fitness might soon take its place, according to a recent land use application.

Plans filed this month call for the signs marking a location for the national fitness center chain. Other building permit applications filed this year have indicated plans for renovations for a new tenant.

...continues at the Oregonian ($).

[colossalorder]

The idea that UnderU4men was ever at Bridgeport Village is pretty wild. I had no idea.

Does anyone know exactly which space are they moving into? How big is the space? I'm hoping it still fronts the new Darcelle Plaza.

[maccoinnich]

This is a well written article, and while I think the headline is a tad strong, I do think the independent stores profiled would be helped if the city could lure more national retailers to downtown.

As big box stores flee, Portland shopkeepers feel pressure to fuel downtown renaissance



The big order one recent Monday was for nine carafes of coffee.

Drip Drop Coffee co-owner Marcus Nettles spent the morning rush manning his espresso machine, then on dish duty, then working dough with pearls of sugar that would transform into crunchy waffles with a sweet shine.

But the carafe order was a welcome deal for a café still finding purchase in its downtown Portland storefront just steps from where city workers are restoring the Thompson Elk Fountain damaged in 2020 demonstrations and riots.

That chaos, long dissipated but still vivid in the public imagination, combined with COVID-19 to force many businesses to close, dimming storefront windows the past five years. Drip Drop only opened in March.

“That’s the biggest we’ve ever done,” Nettles, behind the counter, said of the catering sale, tallying that $25 per carafe would bring in $225. “That’s pretty sweet.”

Before 2020, coffee shops and boutique clothiers could rely on the spill off from office jobs and name brand retailers to fuel daily sales. Now, small businesses are under growing pressure to save the downtown core.

...continues at the Oregonian ($).

[downtownpdx]

Originally Posted by colossalorder

The idea that UnderU4men was ever at Bridgeport Village is pretty wild. I had no idea.

Does anyone know exactly which space are they moving into? How big is the space? I'm hoping it still fronts the new Darcelle Plaza.

They’re moving to Morrison between 10th/11th. Not sure exactly why, perhaps a larger space? I’d think the upcoming park across the street from their current location, along with the James Beard Market opening only 2 blocks away would make them want to see what happens before moving. Oh well at least they’re staying downtown.

[downtownpdx]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

This is a well written article, and while I think the headline is a tad strong, I do think the independent stores profiled would be helped if the city could lure more national retailers to downtown.



...continues at the Oregonian ($).

Great article. I totally agree with the sentiment that the mayor needs to be more proactive about highlighting these businesses. He cries “when is enough enough?” as Nordstrom threatens to leave, but I don’t see any concrete action on his part, or the council, to celebrate all the local shops and attract new business.

On a side note, mac was mentioning some new leases along Morrison and I also noticed “Pleasure Burger” recently opened on Broadway, in the former Koji sushi spot near near Alder.. Gets rave reviews.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

They’re moving to Morrison between 10th/11th. Not sure exactly why, perhaps a larger space? I’d think the upcoming park across the street from their current location, along with the James Beard Market opening only 2 blocks away would make them want to see what happens before moving. Oh well at least they’re staying downtown.

It's a smaller space, and the story in the Portland Business Journal gets into why:

Lien said that the move is based on succession planning, something he said he has been thinking about since he renewed the lease at the West End location just two years ago.

“I left myself a nice exit strategy after that two years, because I knew the complexity of the succession planning of a big location here. It's an expensive location. It's a commitment over a five-year period of well over $750,000,” said Lien, 67.

“Those are big commitments for a new employee-operated store, especially when there's also operational costs every single month. So when we sat down and tried to figure out how that could be feasible … it was almost impossible. The debt-to-sales ratios were too high. The math just didn't play out.”

Lien said that a similar succession plan has already proved to be lucrative for underU4men store in Seattle.

Its storefront in the Loveless Building in Capitol Hill underwent a similar employee ownership transition about a year and a half ago and has been successful, Lien said, due in large part to a more affordable rent on less space, which in turn has brought insurance and labor costs down as well.

“It's all about succession planning. It's also about risk mitigation when you're setting your employees up to succeed,” said Lien.

[colossalorder]

SITE Centers Corp., based in Beachwood, Ohio, is selling “The Blocks,” 44 storefronts accounting for 95,430 square feet, according to an offering document obtained by WW. All of the spaces are in 10 residential buildings in the Pearl, including the Streetcar Lofts, the Pinnacle and Park Place.

https://www.wweek.com/news/2025/09/02/th...enters-bought-the-retail-spaces-in-2019/

[maccoinnich]

Canadian apparel brand Duer to open first Portland store



Vancouver, British Columbia-based apparel brand Duer plans to open its first Portland store this month.

Duer's 1,000-square-foot space will open at 820 N.W. 23rd Ave. in late September. It plans a grand opening event Oct. 17-19, according to a news release.

The 10-year-old company was founded by Gary Lenett, who wanted to create a line of denim clothes that could also function as activewear, according to Duer's announcement. Along with jeans and active wear, the company makes shirts, jackets, dresses and overalls in men's and women's lines that are also available through other retailers.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal ($).

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by colossalorder

SITE Centers Corp., based in Beachwood, Ohio, is selling “The Blocks,” 44 storefronts accounting for 95,430 square feet, according to an offering document obtained by WW. All of the spaces are in 10 residential buildings in the Pearl, including the Streetcar Lofts, the Pinnacle and Park Place.

https://www.wweek.com/news/2025/09/02/th...enters-bought-the-retail-spaces-in-2019/

Looking at a site plan of their assets, I see it includes the retail unit at the corner of NW 10th and Northrup, where Can Font used to be—until they couldn't negotiate a lease renewal with their landlord. Indeed, they seem to own many of the prominent and long vacant storefronts in the Pearl. It may turn out to be a very good thing that they're selling their holdings off.

[maccoinnich]

Luxury furniture retailer to open third US showroom in NW Portland



An Australian luxury retailer is bringing its sofas, sun lounges and side tables to Northwest Portland — the showroom’s third location in the United States.

Family-owned furniture designer King Living will set up shop along Northwest 23rd Avenue in October, just in time to meet the furnishing demands of Portland’s final swell of late-summer movers. Established in 1977, the business got its start in Sydney and has since amassed nearly 40 showrooms across eight countries.

The Portland location at 338 N.W. 23rd Ave. will be King Living’s third in the U.S. — following a sequence of successful launches in Chicago and Costa Mesa, California.

...continues at the Oregonian ($).

[maccoinnich]

Via Portland Maps, tenant improvement for Grand Prix Motors in the former REI space:

SINGLE PDF - NEW TENANT IMPROVEMENT - FOUR-STORY BUILDING: CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY FROM S-2 TO S-1 FOR VEHICLE REPAIR. INCLUDES NEW B-OCCUPANCY OFFICES, VEHICLE LIFTS AND RAMPS, ADDITIONAL PLUMBING FIXTURES, TWO GROUND-FLOOR RESTROOMS. WORK INVOLVES REMOVAL OF NON-STRUCTURAL WALLS AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW WALLS. NO WORK IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.

[maccoinnich]

Fun City Adventure Park is going into the former Dick's Sporting Goods store on Hayden Meadows Dr. A permit is currently under review:

PDOX PS - TI FOR NEW TENANT; CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY TO A-3; NEW GAME ROOMS, RESTROOMS, STORAGE, OFFICE, BREAK ROOM, AND PARTY ROOMS.

[maccoinnich]

Downtown sneaker boutique brings rare kicks to the Portland's tourist core



If you want to peruse a collection of hundreds of rare and valuable sneakers in the heart of downtown Portland, Steve Williams has you covered.

Williams, the owner of the streetwear boutique Drexler’s, moved his business from a tucked-away space near Multnomah Central Library, to a prime location across from Portland's Ritz-Carlton Hotel at 909 S.W. Washington St.

What used to be an empty retail space is now home to hundreds of collector kicks and other streetwear. Williams hopes Drexler’s new location will help push his 5-year-old business into a new era.

“The Ritz clientele, that’s our customer,” said Williams, noting that in the shop’s first five weeks in the new location, he’s seen foot traffic climb, especially among those who can afford the four- or even five-figure shoes he sells in the shop.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal ($).

[maccoinnich]

A new chapter for Portland’s long-standing outdoor store Next Adventure



In May, the long-standing Portland outdoor gear store Next Adventure announced that they were closing after 28 years in business. At the time, the plan was to shutter all four locations by the fall, but now two will stay open as part of a new structure that will emphasize “local ownership with employee participation.”

“We’re super excited that we have some local investors that have agreed to come on and keep the Next Adventure legacy alive,” said co-founder Deek Heykamp. “They’ll be working on an ownership program with our key management staff.”

Heykamp founded the outdoor shop with childhood friend Bryan Knudsen in 1997 and said the pair would stay on for a few months to help the transition.

“These new investors have some great creative ideas on how to cement Next Adventure’s legacy in the Portland area,” said Haykamp. “We talk about employee ownership, yes there will be ways that employees can contribute and become members, but also the general public... We’re looking to take an iconic local store to the next level so it truly is a community store.”

...continues at OPB.

[maccoinnich]

Iconic Australian boot brand to debut Portland store



A popular Australian footwear brand is breaking into the Pacific Northwest — with a Portland storefront planned to debut by next year.

Tasmania-based Blundstone opened its first United States flagship in Los Angeles earlier this week. It was the first step in a larger strategic U.S. expansion planned for the boot brand, retail news outlet Chain Store Age reported Tuesday.

Blundstone has two more U.S. locations in the works, according to the report — one in Boulder, Colorado, and another in Portland. Both are expected to open by early next year.

The company did not respond to an email requesting the location of the Portland store or a more specific opening date.

...continues at the Oregonian.

[downtownpdx]

Wow Australia seems to have a fondness for Portland suddenly, as mentioned a few posts above an Australian furniture shop is opening soon too.