urbanMSP

So today I made trip to the suburbs to hit up bed bath and beyond and i realized downtown definitely needs one. There's a pretty large radius. I kind of hate it and i had crazy anxiety in there but i think it would do well. Plus broad city.

You really need a therapist who specializes in helping an urbanist cope with suburban retail box anxiety These type of stores have a place in downtown ,especially since we are approaching 40,000 residents. The question for me is where and how to design them in an urban context?

Does it need a separate urban design? Their standard mall store layout should fit just fine into a skyway bay.

They have them in nyc etc... it wouldn't be their first rodeo.

Since we're on the subject of big box stores in a downtown setting, I decided to find some pictures mostly from New York of how it can be done.

Home depot (NYC):



Bed Bath & Beyond (NYC):



Sports Authority (NYC):





DSW Shoes (SF):

Thanks Grant for the examples. In my mind Bed / Bath and Beyond would be a better fit for City Center than the Sports Authority. It would cater to the downtown resident's needs for home goods and accessories. Has more variety, better quality stuff than Target. Seems more appropriate for the emerging demographics of downtown. I'm somewhat skeptical Sports Authority is going to do well in this location.

I'm not, They should do well. I've at least 5 times this past year had to go out to Dicks to find sports things I needed... and I don't even sports. I think it will be a good thing for the diverse groups of people who come into the city every day. I mean how is footlocker still open DT... WTH.

Hmmm... Would B3 be enough of a destination to be able to survive without a high-visibility location? The basement level of the Crystal Court is pretty open.

I feel like a Bed, Bath, & Beyond might do quite well downtown, especially if it were on the periphery of the CBD (a la Whole Foods in Warehouse District, but removed from getting too deep into office crowd) near the downtown residential portions. Could certainly work in a new project in DTE somewhere.

I'm somewhat skeptical Sports Authority is going to do well in this location.

I am too. But, then again, I suppose I'm not the hugest jock. I guess I'm wondering how often people need to buy sporting goods. B3 would be nice. I'm still miffed that Crate & Barrel left and that stupid Target commercial interiors moved in. What an F-U to the common consumer that felt like.

I'm not, They should do well. I've at least 5 times this past year had to go out to Dicks to find sports things I needed... and I don't even sports. I think it will be a good thing for the diverse groups of people who come into the city every day. I mean how is footlocker still open DT... WTH.

Can't stop laughing!

Home depot (NYC):

My friends used to live a block away from this Home Depot. There was just something so cool about being surrounded by home supplies in the middle of the city. There's also a Best Buy nearby that I used to do graphics for. An "anomaly" floor plan. The strictest thing was the outside signage. And of course, the inside design needed lots of attention and finessing. So of course urban stores can be done, but I think they're way more expensive to implement, just with the costs of labor "reinventing the wheel" rather than doing the slap-n-stick traditional big box layout.

Yoga mats, small weights, Lululemon, shoes, Nike, Adidas, Champion, Under Armor, Columbia, and North Face are just a small sample of what Sports Authority has. I'm expecting a layout much like Hoigaards for this space. We live in one of the most active cities in the country. If people aren't going for runs by the river in the summer, they're walking around with a big coat with warm hat and gloves (also offered at Sports Authority). I think they really just want to widen the selection up a bit. Some people might like Target, but there are those who like a bit more of a selection or they're just loyal to the store. That's where SA comes into play I think

Just my 2 cents

So do big box retailers like Home Depot have urban concept stores (like City Target), or is that NY store just a one off thing that they did just because it's New York?

I'm not, They should do well. I've at least 5 times this past year had to go out to Dicks to find sports things I needed... and I don't even sports. I think it will be a good thing for the diverse groups of people who come into the city every day. I mean how is footlocker still open DT... WTH.

Yeah, but Footlocker is a small store. Maybe I'm a snob , but if we have a sporting goods store at this location, I'd much rather have REI here. It has better ethics and I think they are a little more hip to urban culture (for the outdoorsy urban dweller...lol) . Plus they have a loyal base of long term customers.

Sports Authority will do just fine with the right merchandise assortment. There are a ton of active people who live and/or work downtown, and it will definitely fill a much-needed niche.

On the subject of home improvement, Lowe's is also experimenting with smaller store concepts in urban locations.

Amongst other things, I'm sure bikes will help Sports Authority stay afloat.

So do big box retailers like Home Depot have urban concept stores (like City Target), or is that NY store just a one off thing that they did just because it's New York?

There is a pretty neat two-level urban format Home Depot in Lincoln Park in Chicago. First floor is day-to-day necessities like light bulbs, cleaning supplies and outdoor/garden. Upstairs is the heavy duty stuff - appliances, carpet, countertops, etc.

I could actually see a sort of Urban HD at a Nic/Lake development, assuming this rumored Hi-Lake HD doesn't happen. It's a little further from the Quarry and Richfield HDs. I've noticed in recent years the items at Home Depots (at least the ones near Mpls) getting decidedly more urban in what they carry. Things that are needed for old homes that were once difficult to find are becoming more available. Seems like the next logical step would be an urban Home Depot. Though I doubt it would be downtown.

assuming this rumored Hi-Lake HD doesn't happen.

Wait, what?

Someone posted that they'd heard that the Hi-Lake Rainbow will become a Home Depot.

Would certainly make my life easier, if nothing else. Though it would probably cannibalize sales from the Quarry and Richfield stores and they try not to do that anymore.