PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

Usually, business travelers don’t stay at The Ritz, W or Four Seasons unless they’re independently paying out of pocket for some reason. Charleston is a small city and it doesn’t have any of the big brand luxury hotels. Theoretically, you’d have more wealthy people in Philly given its size whether they live, work or play here. Besides, is KOP a recreational luxury travel destination?

I think there’s something to be said about international travelers but we keep going round and round with this - at the end of the day it’s KOP that competes for retailers. I’ve heard commercial brokers in the city say this over the years as well.

I’m a business traveler and stay at Ritz and Four Seasons — most the large companies get discounted rates for their travelers bc those hotels want to build brand loyalty with affluent travelers, and they get those travelers hooked with rewards programs. For instance, my last Four Seasons stay was only $180/night for my company rate while average guests would pay $400-$600/night.

Charleston is a small, but wealthy concentration in terms of residents and visitors. It doesn’t have big chain luxury hotels but it has lots of independent luxury hotels like Charleston Place. I was just down there and cheapest rooms were around $400.

Philly hasn’t/doesn’t attract super wealthy travelers like many other cities. It’s not a playground for the rich. Sure, there are some wealthy people but overall it’s a small % of the population. KOP is surrounded by the Main Line and they have a lot of wealth out there, and even more middle class who want to appear wealthy who shop at those stores.

[iheartphilly]

Plenty of people in Philly that are solid middle/upper middle class (think doctors, lawyers, executives, established/successful business people,etc.) and the like on the main line, including investment executives, bankers, stocks/bond trader, industry c-suite executives. I would say the luxury goods are targeted towards solid middle class folks that like there luxury good sold at KOP. Now some people that are rich/wealthy that don't flaunt their wealth are the ones that have second home (e.g., vacation homes down the shore, FL, or even a lakefront home in the Poconos) and things that we don't see. But there is a level of wealth like the celebrity status type that can afford Hermes bag (something like the Birkin as an example, but these bag can go into the hundred of thousands). That's on a whole different level and typically you won't see that out in the public because those people live a exclusive/privilege life/lifestyle.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

Wow. Belonged once when I was single into newlywed-hood. Couldn't justify it as my family grew and work permanently relocated to the burbs. This place keeps getting more and more "over the top." They have five satellite locations in the burbs and at the shore, which number was exactly zero in my day. Luckily, outside events are held there, so the question is whether that space will be dedicated to members or available for rent.

Nice...do you miss it hobnobbing with the city elite and local politicians? There's a membership fee once you are endorsed and recommended to be a member.

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

I’m a business traveler and stay at Ritz and Four Seasons — most the large companies get discounted rates for their travelers bc those hotels want to build brand loyalty with affluent travelers, and they get those travelers hooked with rewards programs. For instance, my last Four Seasons stay was only $180/night for my company rate while average guests would pay $400-$600/night.

Charleston is a small, but wealthy concentration in terms of residents and visitors. It doesn’t have big chain luxury hotels but it has lots of independent luxury hotels like Charleston Place. I was just down there and cheapest rooms were around $400.

Philly hasn’t/doesn’t attract super wealthy travelers like many other cities. It’s not a playground for the rich. Sure, there are some wealthy people but overall it’s a small % of the population. KOP is surrounded by the Main Line and they have a lot of wealth out there, and even more middle class who want to appear wealthy who shop at those stores.

Wow, well someone’s fancy lol. Usually, companies just put their employees up at Marriotts or maybe a Hyatt if you’re lucky. And I just checked, Charleston Place rooms average around $900 a night. Philly’s Four Seasons is around the same.

I grew up in SoCal. South Coast Plaza Mall is even more high end than KOP. Although it’s in Costa Mesa which is primarily a middle class town - land was probably cheaper there to build years ago but it’s about 5-15 miles away from the wealthier coastal cities. So again, regional factors come into play here. Come to think of it, luxury retailers aren’t really in the uber wealthy coastal communities in OC, they’re mostly up in Costa Mesa at South Coast. So again, I don’t think the argument that wealthier neighborhoods equal more Guccis necessarily pans out all that much. There’s more to it than that.

I mean, my God people for the last time, all I’m saying is that Walnut could afford a few more luxury retailers at this point. Where did I say it should be the next KOP? I guess I’m way off base here.

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Plenty of people in Philly that are solid middle/upper middle class (think doctors, lawyers, executives, established/successful business people,etc.) and the like on the main line, including investment executives, bankers, stocks/bond trader, industry c-suite executives. I would say the luxury goods are targeted towards solid middle class folks that like there luxury good sold at KOP. Now some people that are rich/wealthy that don't flaunt their wealth are the ones that have second home (e.g., vacation homes down the shore, FL, or even a lakefront home in the Poconos) and things that we don't see. But there is a level of wealth like the celebrity status type that can afford Hermes bag (something like the Birkin as an example, but these bag can go into the hundred of thousands). That's on a whole different level and typically you won't see that out in the public because those people live a exclusive/privilege life/lifestyle.

I agree. Hypothetically, let’s say KOP Mall didn’t exist and the prime retail destination was CC. Would wealthy main line people drive 20 minutes into Rittenhouse for the day and shop? Probably so, which basically is my point.

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

I hadn't been to Boston in 25 years until last fall. For a city half the size of Phila., the amount and quality of retail was astounding. Not just Newbury and the like. Unlike the Gallery, Prudential Center seemed to still be doing well and was an inviting place. I was sort of depressed by the comparisons.

I was in Boston for a month a few years ago. And I agree, the retail situation there seemed much stronger for being smaller than Philly. Also, I don’t know if you found this but I felt like I was expecting more of Boston. The restaurant scene was rather average and foot traffic seemed much less compared to Philly. It didn’t necessarily feel “wealthier” than Center City. Although, it had a few blocks of very high end luxury brands along Newbury. If anything, the South End seemed to be the more bustling part of the city. While I was there, someone said to me “Boston is the country’s biggest small town” and I kinda get that.

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Plenty of people in Philly that are solid middle/upper middle class (think doctors, lawyers, executives, established/successful business people,etc.) and the like on the main line, including investment executives, bankers, stocks/bond trader, industry c-suite executives. I would say the luxury goods are targeted towards solid middle class folks that like there luxury good sold at KOP. Now some people that are rich/wealthy that don't flaunt their wealth are the ones that have second home (e.g., vacation homes down the shore, FL, or even a lakefront home in the Poconos) and things that we don't see. But there is a level of wealth like the celebrity status type that can afford Hermes bag (something like the Birkin as an example, but these bag can go into the hundred of thousands). That's on a whole different level and typically you won't see that out in the public because those people live a exclusive/privilege life/lifestyle.

Agreed that most of those luxury brands appeal more to middle and upper middle class. Knowing that, it’s kinda easy to see why Philly doesn’t attract luxury retailers. Phillys middle class was almost 60% of its population back in the 70s and the city had 400k more people at that point. Compare it to now, and middle class has decreased to around 40% of the population, low income increased, and overall population decreased. Those trends are starting to change with millennials living in the city, but they have high student loan debt and increasing housing prices that are reducing their purchasing power.

No doubt we will get some of those retailers eventually. Doesn’t make a lot of sense right now. I’d rather see the areas around center city get more independent niche retail over the luxury chains anyways.

[UrbanRevival]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Plenty of people in Philly that are solid middle/upper middle class (think doctors, lawyers, executives, established/successful business people,etc.) and the like on the main line, including investment executives, bankers, stocks/bond trader, industry c-suite executives. I would say the luxury goods are targeted towards solid middle class folks that like there luxury good sold at KOP.

Exactly. Even Greater Philadelphians are often ignorant of the wealth that resides in the metro area. According to 2020 numbers from BEA, the Philly metro ranks 20th in "real" per capita personal income out of 384 metro areas, right behind DC.

A more robust luxury scene in CC is definitely not for a lack of wealth in the region. It's hard to argue against the idea that it really comes down to consumer habits and attraction of well-heeled, particularly international tourists. That's the key difference between cities like Boston, NYC, SF, LA, Chicago and Miami versus Philadelphia.

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

I was in Boston for a month a few years ago. And I agree, the retail situation there seemed much stronger for being smaller than Philly. Also, I don’t know if you found this but I felt like I was expecting more of Boston. The restaurant scene was rather average and foot traffic seemed much less compared to Philly. It didn’t necessarily feel “wealthier” than Center City. Although, it had a few blocks of very high end luxury brands along Newbury. If anything, the South End seemed to be the more bustling part of the city. While I was there, someone said to me “Boston is the country’s biggest small town” and I kinda get that.

Boston's a great city, and it's still a great model for Philadelphia to emulate (in certain ways) in its continued recovery/revitalization. But it's definitely more "niche" than Philadelphia--that's for sure. Philadelphia has long been the "all walks of life" kind of city compared to "boutique" Boston.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by UrbanRevival

Exactly. Even Greater Philadelphians are often ignorant of the wealth that resides in the metro area. According to 2020 numbers from BEA, the Philly metro ranks 20th in "real" per capita personal income out of 384 metro areas, right behind DC.

A more robust luxury scene in CC is definitely not for a lack of wealth in the region. It's hard to argue against the idea that it really comes down to consumer habits and attraction of well-heeled, particularly international tourists. That's the key difference between cities like Boston, NYC, SF, LA, Chicago and Miami versus Philadelphia.

Yes, and that we are big enough and established enough now that we can function like an LA where most people no longer need to leave their immediate areas to get what they want. It's one of the things that makes the metro great but it can be a catch 22 at times.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Nice...do you miss it hobnobbing with the city elite and local politicians? There's a membership fee once you are endorsed and recommended to be a member.

I did enjoy the candidate fora and things like that, but the amenities and camaraderie (with more humble but successful folk) were my reasons for being there. I belong to some (inexpensive!) groups that have meetings there, so I still get to enjoy parts of the League from time to time. After you go through the application and interview process, there was a hefty (even more so now) initiation fee, then there were the dues, capital/renovation assessments, and quarterly minimum. I understand that the availability of golf membership now takes fees to a whole other level. It was fun for a single guy who had finally paid off his law school debt, but its out of the question for a family man based in the burbs.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

I was in Boston for a month a few years ago. And I agree, the retail situation there seemed much stronger for being smaller than Philly. Also, I don’t know if you found this but I felt like I was expecting more of Boston. The restaurant scene was rather average and foot traffic seemed much less compared to Philly. It didn’t necessarily feel “wealthier” than Center City. Although, it had a few blocks of very high end luxury brands along Newbury. If anything, the South End seemed to be the more bustling part of the city. While I was there, someone said to me “Boston is the country’s biggest small town” and I kinda get that.

I definitely agree on retail. I found Boston delightful. I think I'm impressed rather than underwhelmed because I see what Boston accomplishes at half Philadelphia's size. It does help to be the "Hub" and de facto capital of New England along with, in my opinion, a more usefully laid out subway. Last October it was bustling. We stayed on Copley Square, but ranged all over the Back Bay, Downtown, and the North End. I was attending a conference, so I only dined out a couple of times besides arranged events at private clubs/institutions. The places we went were admittedly touristy, but sometimes its fun to play tourist.

[summersm343]

Guys... this Boston being "half Philadelphia's size" is not really true. You're way too focused on city limits which means very little in todays day and age.

While Philadelphia city limits are about 1.6M and Boston's 675K, the Metropolitan area of Philadelphia is over 6.2M, and Boston's is just under 5M. Furthermore, Philadelphia's CSA (Combined Statistical Area) is just under 7.4M and Boston's is just under 8.5M.

Even further so, Boston is the only city in Massachusetts... Philadelphia is not the only city in PA (Pittsburgh). Boston is also the capital of Massachusetts, and Philadelphia is not the capital of Pennsylvania.

Even further, while the "Greater Boston Region" covers parts of three states (Mass, RI and NH), and so does Philadelphia's (PA, NJ and DE), Boston is really the capital of all of New England and really has influence over the entire region, and attracts the entire region whom wants to visit a city. Only once you get to Connecticut and Rhode Island does Boston share influence with NYC... Boston has the rest of RI, parts of CT, all of MA, VT, NH and Maine. Philadelphia really only has influence over about 40% of Pennsylvania, the lower half of NJ which probably only equates to about 40% of NJ's population, and maybe 75% of Delaware. Then, Philadelphia is wedged between NYC and DC/Baltimore and the rest of Pennsylvania is Kentucky 2.0 and despises cities, or sides with Pittsburgh.

[summersm343]

Also, Back Bay VS. Rittenhouse thing. Back Bay 100% has the leg up on retail, but Rittenhouse Square 100% has the leg up on dining/restaurants. All in all, these are two very, very similar neighborhoods - maybe the two most similar in the US.

[PhilliesPhan]

Originally Posted by Frontst17

Let’s not forget the unfortunate fact that some boomers and gen x (just being honest) who are in charge of these decisions still view us somewhere between Detroit and Baghdad. Millennials and gen-z for the majority love it here and are ready to spend their money. They just need the options and opportunities.

Not to deviate from this topic too much, I'm glad that someone else notices this. I occasionally take peeks at City-Data, and I often see posters claiming that the entire city of Philadelphia has more of a negative perception amongst the general populace. As a 26 year old, the vast majority of the people in my age range who I know do NOT hold a negative perception of the entire city. They certainly acknowledge that the city has issues, but those issues don't completely erode their love for the city. Philly still has a lot to offer in the form of food, arts, entertainment, culture, and neighborhoods. From my experience, the most virulent city haters tend to be Boomers/older Gen-Xers in Delco and Lower Bucks. It's as if they haven't stepped foot into the city since I was born back in August 1995.

Though I don't want Philadelphia to be Boston (one of my favorite American cities, but with several downsides not found in Philadelphia), I do wish that we had their per-capita crime rate. Development would go even crazier if this were the case.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Add outrageous rents.
At one point Walnut Street commanded some of the highest commercial rents in the nation, and everything crashed at once (like a housing bubble). Meanwhile KoP rents are 1/3 lower AND sales are higher, the math didn't work. And of course the brick and mortar downturn, Covid, etc.

But it appear brick & mortar is turning around, and Walnut is on the up. Nothing like KoP, but retailers are coming back.

Two other big issues with Walnut / Chestnut...

1. The burned out hole on the 1700 block of Walnut needs to be fixed ASAP.

2. I think Ritt Row is the marketing / planning group for retail in the area? But it feels a bit ad hoc, low enthusiasm, no city support, etc. (unlike Simon with KoP). Walnut / Chestnut needs an aggressive marketing / planning committee, beautification committee, someone to work with landlords, and city support in a moratorium on banks & cell phone stores. I noticed new planters and holiday lights on Walnut (a start), but the corridors need more TLC, a high street needs to look like a high street.

Yes, agree. The hole on the 1700 block of Walnut needs filled in ASAP.

Point #2 is spot on though and is part of Philadelphia's problem when it comes to retail along Walnut Street. Ritt Row is a marketing mess, and has very little planning, no city support or backing, and no landlord and commercial broker support or backing. Look at Newbury Street's website and marketing on the other hand:
https://www.newburystboston.com/

It has backing from the city, the neighborhood group, landlords, commercial brokers, ETC.

We need MUCH better marketing and a website for Walnut Street, with city backing, Center City District backing, neighborhood group backing, landlord backing and commercial brokerage backing.

Originally Posted by skyhigh07

I mean, I appreciate how far Walnut has come over the last 15 years baring some of the national economic trends it’s gone up against recently. Newbury St has been established as a high end retailer corridor for quite some time. Contrasting that, there were parts of Walnut that were still little shabby 10-15 years ago. And then all of the sudden, I remember being amazed when we got an Apple store and then a Theory and then a Barney’s and then they tore down the old shabby looking building on 15th/Walnut and put up the building where Cheesecake Factory is now. There definitely was a retail boom and it all happened pretty fast. It really changed the vibe.

Absolutely. Does anyone remember Walnut Street from even the mid-to-late-2000s? Jesus it's come quite a long way. Sure there were a few more luxury retailers in those days and Walnut Street got BLASTED during the pandemic, but I do believe it's much nicer now and is starting to fill in again with stores (if we can just get that damn hole on the 1700 block filled in!!! Argh!!!)

Originally Posted by Frontst17

Let’s not forget the unfortunate fact that some boomers and gen x (just being honest) who are in charge of these decisions still view us somewhere between Detroit and Baghdad. Millennials and gen-z for the majority love it here and are ready to spend their money. They just need the options and opportunities.

100% agree. Millennials and Gen Z seem to love Philly. I would say there are Boomers and Gen X that love Philly, but a lot of them really despise the city. As they continue to retire and/or pass on, and the city continues to build up and clean up the streets/crime, it's only a matter of time until Philadelphia gets more and more retailers.

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

I’m a business traveler and stay at Ritz and Four Seasons — most the large companies get discounted rates for their travelers bc those hotels want to build brand loyalty with affluent travelers, and they get those travelers hooked with rewards programs. For instance, my last Four Seasons stay was only $180/night for my company rate while average guests would pay $400-$600/night.

Charleston is a small, but wealthy concentration in terms of residents and visitors. It doesn’t have big chain luxury hotels but it has lots of independent luxury hotels like Charleston Place. I was just down there and cheapest rooms were around $400.

Philly hasn’t/doesn’t attract super wealthy travelers like many other cities. It’s not a playground for the rich. Sure, there are some wealthy people but overall it’s a small % of the population. KOP is surrounded by the Main Line and they have a lot of wealth out there, and even more middle class who want to appear wealthy who shop at those stores.

Your last point 100%

It has very little to do with KOP (maybe a little bit)... but not much.... the reason Rittenhouse doesn't have more luxury retailers has to do with a smaller population of wealthy and middle class and a lack of wealthy travelers and a much smaller slice of international travelers.

When comparing to Boston for instance, Boston gets more wealthy travelers (especially from all over New England) and more international travelers especially thanks to both MIT and Harvard VS. just Penn for Philadelphia.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

Though I don't want Philadelphia to be Boston (one of my favorite American cities, but with several downsides not found in Philadelphia), I do wish that we had their per-capita crime rate. Development would go even crazier if this were the case.

I love Phila. for what it is, but know that it could be so much more. I did notice that Boston seemed to be avoiding the crime issues experienced here and elsewhere. Things seemed almost pre-COVID/pre-social upheaval normal at the time. We felt secure at all hours wherever we wandered.

[hammersklavier]

I think that luxury retailers, and more importantly, middle-class retailers, being leery of entering the city is a very American problem, and I also think Philadelphia is a good bellwether for this problem.

Let me contrast for a moment the experience of living in Kobe with living in Philadelphia. Kobe and Philadelphia are actually strongly comparable cities. Both have roughly the same population (actually they had almost exactly the same population at Philly's 2007 nadir). Both play second fiddle to a bigger, wealthier, and more important big brother nearby (Philly = NYC, Kobe = Osaka). Both are fairly cheap to live in and have strong city-of-neighborhood vibes. My part of town, Suzurandai, was, for example, absolutely nothing like the dense urban neighborhoods along the coast, and there are parts of Kobe that might as well be in the countryside!

In Kobe, the main business district is Sannomiya. Sannomiya is similar in size to Center City, and its retail product mix is similar in scale to Center City's...circa 1980. Sannomiya is still home to two large department stores (currently Hankyu and Daimaru), two other smaller midrange department stores (Marui and BAL), and a whole host of options for everything from electronics (Yamada Denki LABI, Joshin) to home furnishings (Nitori) to books (Junkudo x2) to cheap consumer goods (Daiso x2, Seria) to groceries (Hankyu Oasis being the fanciest grocer). It had international brands (Lush, Kiehl's, Zara, but strangely enough no H&M IIRC) and national brands (Daiso, Muji, Uniqlo, GU, etc). And so on.

The point I am making here is that Kobe, a city that in demographic and urban studies terms could well be Philly's Japanese twin, has shopping options we in Philly think are only available in KoP or on Fifth Avenue. And why is this? Is it Amazon? I think not. Japan has Amazon, just like us; Japanese people use Amazon just as often as we do. Yet Amazon has not adversely affected Japanese brick-and-mortar retail.

I think the real problems are a trifecta. First, Japanese people actually have more pocket money to spend than Americans. This is because, despite Japanese wages being stagnant, Japanese people don't have to spend unfathomable amounts of money on health insurance, student loan debt, or even car ownership (though Japanese people do like owning cars). Second, Japan's retail system is oriented to make the most of its rail network. This does not mean that there aren't massive auto-oriented malls in Japan--there certainly are--but it would be unfathomable from a Japanese context for the "best" retail in a city to be located in an area as inaccessible from rail as KoP is. Commercial location is absolutely a function of transport policy decisions. Finally, I think Japan's retail sector is both more trusted by Japanese people and more open to innovation than America's is. As for the first, regional chains remain dominant in most retail sectors, especially department stores, groceries, and electronics--and it is no secret that, all else being equal--shoppers prefer shopping at regional chains. As for the second, it is also no secret that Japanese retailers have been showing remarkable success at finding niches in the United States, with Daiso now being one of the largest dollar store chains on the West Coast and Uniqlo having gone national. I was personally witness to the ailing Hanshin department store in Osaka's Umeda district receiving a top-to-bottom renovation and emerging as Osaka's shiniest and most modern department store--a remarkable show of faith by H2O Holdings in what their American counterparts would have written off as a white whale and closed their doors.

There are definitely niches for exploring Japanese-style retail in America. Five Below? That's a classic hundred-yen store concept, the same type of store as Daiso or Can Do. Shop there. Book Off? There is, as far as I know, absolutely nothing like it in the United States; it is therefore a concept worth exploring. It would certainly be worthwhile to explore developing department store concepts like Marui or generic stores like Muji (the name literally means "generic goods" in Japanese). The Japanese concept of subleasing department store space is also worth exploring as a way of making the whole thing viable. Anyway. I hope I've made my point here. America's retail landscape kind of sucks and Japan is so much better at retailing it's not even funny. And Philadelphia can definitely learn from Kobe.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

I think that luxury retailers, and more importantly, middle-class retailers, being leery of entering the city is a very American problem, and I also think Philadelphia is a good bellwether for this problem.

Let me contrast for a moment the experience of living in Kobe with living in Philadelphia. Kobe and Philadelphia are actually strongly comparable cities. Both have roughly the same population (actually they had almost exactly the same population at Philly's 2007 nadir). Both play second fiddle to a bigger, wealthier, and more important big brother nearby (Philly = NYC, Kobe = Osaka). Both are fairly cheap to live in and have strong city-of-neighborhood vibes. My part of town, Suzurandai, was, for example, absolutely nothing like the dense urban neighborhoods along the coast, and there are parts of Kobe that might as well be in the countryside!

In Kobe, the main business district is Sannomiya. Sannomiya is similar in size to Center City, and its retail product mix is similar in scale to Center City's...circa 1980. Sannomiya is still home to two large department stores (currently Hankyu and Daimaru), two other smaller midrange department stores (Marui and BAL), and a whole host of options for everything from electronics (Yamada Denki LABI, Joshin) to home furnishings (Nitori) to books (Junkudo x2) to cheap consumer goods (Daiso x2, Seria) to groceries (Hankyu Oasis being the fanciest grocer). It had international brands (Lush, Kiehl's, Zara, but strangely enough no H&M IIRC) and national brands (Daiso, Muji, Uniqlo, GU, etc). And so on.

The point I am making here is that Kobe, a city that in demographic and urban studies terms could well be Philly's Japanese twin, has shopping options we in Philly think are only available in KoP or on Fifth Avenue. And why is this? Is it Amazon? I think not. Japan has Amazon, just like us; Japanese people use Amazon just as often as we do. Yet Amazon has not adversely affected Japanese brick-and-mortar retail.

I think the real problems are a trifecta. First, Japanese people actually have more pocket money to spend than Americans. This is because, despite Japanese wages being stagnant, Japanese people don't have to spend unfathomable amounts of money on health insurance, student loan debt, or even car ownership (though Japanese people do like owning cars). Second, Japan's retail system is oriented to make the most of its rail network. This does not mean that there aren't massive auto-oriented malls in Japan--there certainly are--but it would be unfathomable from a Japanese context for the "best" retail in a city to be located in an area as inaccessible from rail as KoP is. Commercial location is absolutely a function of transport policy decisions. Finally, I think Japan's retail sector is both more trusted by Japanese people and more open to innovation than America's is. As for the first, regional chains remain dominant in most retail sectors, especially department stores, groceries, and electronics--and it is no secret that, all else being equal--shoppers prefer shopping at regional chains. As for the second, it is also no secret that Japanese retailers have been showing remarkable success at finding niches in the United States, with Daiso now being one of the largest dollar store chains on the West Coast and Uniqlo having gone national. I was personally witness to the ailing Hanshin department store in Osaka's Umeda district receiving a top-to-bottom renovation and emerging as Osaka's shiniest and most modern department store--a remarkable show of faith by H2O Holdings in what their American counterparts would have written off as a white whale and closed their doors.

There are definitely niches for exploring Japanese-style retail in America. Five Below? That's a classic hundred-yen store concept, the same type of store as Daiso or Can Do. Shop there. Book Off? There is, as far as I know, absolutely nothing like it in the United States; it is therefore a concept worth exploring. It would certainly be worthwhile to explore developing department store concepts like Marui or generic stores like Muji (the name literally means "generic goods" in Japanese). The Japanese concept of subleasing department store space is also worth exploring as a way of making the whole thing viable. Anyway. I hope I've made my point here. America's retail landscape kind of sucks and Japan is so much better at retailing it's not even funny. And Philadelphia can definitely learn from Kobe.

Very interesting post. I had intended to visit Osaka next year on my visit, but I will add Kobe to the list as well.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Very interesting post. I had intended to visit Osaka next year on my visit, but I will add Kobe to the list as well.

来年日本に行くつもりければ東京にまた住んでいるよ。僕も来年関西に訪れると望む。だから、東京より関西のほうがいいと思うよ。でも他の物、名鉄がSEPTA Regional Railのようだけど作動のほうがいいだから、McGrathも名古屋に訪れさせる。どこかに会いたいかな？

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

来年日本に行くつもりければ東京にまた住んでいるよ。僕も来年関西に訪れると望む。だから、東京より関西のほうがいいと思うよ。でも他の物、名鉄がSEPTA Regional Railのようだけど作動のほうがいいだから、McGrathも名古屋に訪れさせる。どこかに会いたいかな？

Hey, if you have photos of Japanese cities that you can share in Flickr, or another app, let me know. It's on my travel shortlist and would love to see them before I visit the country. Thanks!