Rouses steps closer to building a Freret Street store
A new Rouses grocery store on Freret Street in New Orleans is a step closer to being built after its developer, SSJ Investments, received approval Tuesday (Feb. 12) from the City Planning Commission for the business to sell alcohol and operate a food-processing facility next door.
The facility, which will house food storage and preparation, will be used for other Rouses locations in the area, according to the developers. The New Orleans City Council has to give final approval for the project.
The new grocery and warehouse spaces are planned for Freret at Valence Street, records show. The store would occupy about 10,000 square feet, and the warehouse would take up about 5,000 square feet.
Louis Vuitton is now open in New Orleans
Louis Vuitton now has a New Orleans boutique.
The French fashion house opened the 4,000-square-foot store last Thursday (Jan. 24) at The Shops at Canal Place. The location is the brand’s first stand-alone boutique in Louisiana. Previously, Saks Fifth Avenue sold its signature handbags and accessories at its Canal Place store.
Louis Vuitton is one of several new high-profile retail brands to move into The Shops at Canal Place. Tory Burch opened a boutique on the mall’s first floor late last year. G-Star Raw, a luxury denim brand, also opened. Louis Vuitton is located next to Tory Burch on the first floor.
The Shops at Canal Place, which is managed by O’Connor Capital Partners, is undergoing a two-year renovation, which will update its interior spaces, light fixtures and kiosks. Gensler, a design firm based out of San Francisco, has been tapped to oversee the renovation work.
In addition to selling handbags, luggage and other accessories, the New Orleans store offers a variety of in-store services, including hot stamping, engraving and fragrance refills. Customers will also be able to pick up online orders at the store.
Louis Vuitton joins existing tenants including Saks Fifth Avenue, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany & Co., Lululemon and Anthropologie.