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Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: November 21st, 2014, 11:40 am
by LakeCharles
Lake St is also a test store sometimes, they tested some weird checkout lane where there was a single line and a computer would call you to the right register when it was open.
Interestingly, that method worked significantly faster for everyone. But the perception of guests was that it took longer, so they did away with it.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: November 21st, 2014, 12:13 pm
by David Greene
Lake St is also a test store sometimes, they tested some weird checkout lane where there was a single line and a computer would call you to the right register when it was open.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
That is the correct way to do queueing!

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: November 21st, 2014, 12:20 pm
by FISHMANPET
In theory I liked the idea, but at least at that particular store, nobody seemed to really know what to do, so there was a lot of confused waiting at the front of the line with one or more cashiers practically screaming "HEY OVER HERE."

Also the actual checkout counters seemed much smaller, you couldn't even unload a full cart onto them, you'd have to unload a few things, let them get bagged, put the bag in your cart, unload a few more things, etc etc.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: November 21st, 2014, 4:19 pm
by John21
As a person who always gets in the slowest line, I wish Lake St would've kept that setup.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: November 21st, 2014, 5:04 pm
by FISHMANPET
The Quarry is also pretty awful, with the lines two deep, I never know where to line up for the registers closer to the door. When an employee flags me into an empty checkout line I feel bad for cutting straight to checkout when everyone else is waiting in line, but I guess that's their problem for not looking around?

And Lake St has self-checkout now which I appreciate. The less I have to interact with a human being the better.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: November 21st, 2014, 5:07 pm
by Matt
But it does predate the CityTarget brand, right?

I went to one of those in Chicago, and other than being in an older renovated space, it seemed normal to me.

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CityTarget is still a new idea, with the first one happening in 2012. In theory, CityTarget is a smaller footprint and has a slightly different assortment due to this (less bulky stuff since some of the CityTarget's have little to no parking on site). Prices are also typically higher in CityTarget branded stores and they have a different circular. (I'm a former TGT HQ worker.)

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: November 24th, 2014, 4:16 pm
by xandrex
i didn't know that. I'll have to get up the quarry location to check that out. i assumed dt target was still the test store. that dt store still feels very oversized. but wasn't it their first attempt at a dowtown site? or one of the first.
Yeah, when I worked at the Quarry location for several years, people from HQ were in there pretty much every day, lots of walk-throughs with the CEO, etc. It was actually quite annoying for floor members, since HQ folks would just huddle in popular spots and gawk and generally block guests. And whenever the CEO would come to visit, it meant doing some really strange things with the store (removing clearance endcaps, putting items in the wrong spot to fill empty spaces, etc.)
That is the correct way to do queueing!
That's generally a faster way to do it, but only if the person is purchasing a few items. One nice thing about normal checkouts is that they allow customers to at least start unloading their items while someone else is being checked out. In a suburban-style store like the Quarry Target, many people were doing their weekly shopping trip for their family. One of the surest ways to slow down the process was someone who didn't unload ahead of time and then set one item at a time on the belt...you can scan and bag an item quicker than they can unload.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: November 24th, 2014, 4:23 pm
by grant1simons2
Quarry is the test store, talked to my aunt who works for Target

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 4th, 2014, 8:27 am
by twincitizen
Saks Off 5th to layoff 50 in closure, PR rep continues to suggest that they may look at another downtown location in the future (though that doesn't make a lick of sense to me...why not just stay put?): http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... osure.html

If Hudson's Bay Company really is interested in a future presence downtown, I'd rather they wait a few years until we have another 1,000 or so residents living right in the core (and several thousands more living on the periphery of downtown). Perhaps that would increase the chances of them opening a Lord & Taylor or Saks (proper), instead of the outlet store.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 4th, 2014, 8:36 am
by mattaudio
I wonder how much demand there is for a high-end retail store in Mpls. Seems like people who want and/or can afford higher end apparel are more interested in unique, handcrafted, or responsibly sourced apparel. That's more likely to come from smaller shops, boutiques, etc than a larger department store.

Though I wouldn't mind having a Nordstrom downtown.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 4th, 2014, 10:50 am
by 5th Ave Guy
I wonder how much demand there is for a high-end retail store in Mpls. Seems like people who want and/or can afford higher end apparel are more interested in unique, handcrafted, or responsibly sourced apparel. That's more likely to come from smaller shops, boutiques, etc than a larger department store.

Though I wouldn't mind having a Nordstrom downtown.
I don't agree with that. I'm willing to spend money on clothes I like and will wear a lot (Nordstrom's, Len Druskin, etc.). Some of the boutiques opening up in the North Loop, while very cool and good for the neighborhood, seem to be stocked with stuff that is fun to look at, but not necessarily wear.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 4th, 2014, 10:55 am
by mattaudio
I group Len Druskin in with the smaller stores rather than the Saks and the Nordstroms though.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 4th, 2014, 11:59 am
by LakeCharles
I don't agree with that. I'm willing to spend money on clothes I like and will wear a lot (Nordstrom's, Len Druskin, etc.). Some of the boutiques opening up in the North Loop, while very cool and good for the neighborhood, seem to be stocked with stuff that is fun to look at, but not necessarily wear.
How is a sweater from Askov Finlayson or Martin Patrick 3 any harder to wear than a sweater from Len Druskin? The Galleria Druskin even stocks some of the same brands as Martin Patrick 3.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 4th, 2014, 1:51 pm
by Azel
Heard any credible rumors about the former Office Depot space in City Center lately?

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 4th, 2014, 3:05 pm
by xandrex
How is a sweater from Askov Finlayson or Martin Patrick 3 any harder to wear than a sweater from Len Druskin? The Galleria Druskin even stocks some of the same brands as Martin Patrick 3.
Not harder to wear, but a lot of these boutiques charge prices that are mind-boggling. The bigger stores appear to have a bit more of a range (even if overall they're still fairly expensive).

Honestly, we need more places like Gap downtown than we do Askov Finlayson. I like AF a lot, but for retail to thrive, we need to appeal to people who are more comfortable paying $50 for a pair of jeans moreso than $250 pairs.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 4th, 2014, 4:12 pm
by twincitizen
We also need existing places like Banana Republic and Brooks Brothers to get their asses down to the street level, instead of hiding up in the skyway malls.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 5th, 2014, 9:21 am
by mullen
why should they? that's where the business is for the thousands of dt office workers. why should the be on the street when we as a city have created this convenient second level that is weather controlled.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 5th, 2014, 9:48 am
by ECtransplant
A couple months after I moved to Minneapolis and wanted to go to Brooks Brothers I couldn't find it. Once I realized it was in the skyway, I still circled around a couple times before finding it.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 5th, 2014, 11:09 am
by MplsSteve
If every development was as well designed as the IDS Crystal Court, retailers could be on the street level and still be visible and easily accessible from both the skyway and the street.

Re: Downtown Retail News

Posted: December 10th, 2014, 4:57 pm
by mnmike
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... polis.html

Oh good, Walgreens is confirmed for the Sak's space...though not exactly the flagship version mentioned earlier. I wonder if 23,000 sq feet will occupy more than the first level. Perhaps the 2nd level will be split up with a skyway running through the middle. I think the building is around 90k square feet? So 23k is about one floor perhaps.