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Barneys on the block.  discuss.

AlanC

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The retailer currently has flagship stores in New York, Beverly Hills and Chicago, but sees the potential for other flagship sites in selected markets.

How can you keep adding 'flagship' stores and still call them 'flagship' stores? Isn't the point of a flagship that you only have one of them?
 

jcusey

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How can you keep adding 'flagship' stores and still call them 'flagship' stores? Isn't the point of a flagship that you only have one of them?
Linguistic incompetence aside (and it may be incompetence on the part of the writer rather than the Barney's executives), didn't Barney's try the store-in-every-city approach in the '80s and '90s and go bankrupt for their efforts?
 

itzamazing

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The retailer currently has flagship stores in New York, Beverly Hills and Chicago, but sees the potential for other flagship sites in selected markets.
How can you keep adding 'flagship' stores and still call them 'flagship' stores? Isn't the point of a flagship that you only have one of them?
I see what you mean, but the term flagship(s) has taken on a new meaning. A flagship store can simply mean a location that carries the most extensive selection compared to its other stores in that same city. For instance, Banana Republic has its NYC flagship (Rockefeller Center), it's LA flagship (3rd st/Santa Monica, San Fran flagship (Grant Ave) and Chicago (North Michigan Ave). It usually means that every single possible item that the store carries is found there. Another example would be Macys, with its Herald Square store in NYC being its East Coast flagship and its Union Square store in San Fran being its West Coast flagship. Bloomingdale's flagship is in NYC, but when the new San Fran store is completed, it will be called the West Coast flagship. Barney's has several store locations, but only its NYC, LA & Chicago stores would be considered flagships. The selecton at the other locations pales in comparsion to these three. Hope this makes some type of sense.
 

itzamazing

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As for Barneys expanding into other markets, I am not too sure if this is wise.

Where else does Barney's really need to expand to? Is it wise to have flagship stores in Atlanta or Dallas? I don't think so, but I am no retail expert. A lot of people do travel to NYC just for Barneys though.

I could see them coming to San Fran, but overexpansion is kind of why they got into trouble to begin with as someone else in the thread stated. They cater to a niche market and I don't think every single city can support a Barneys. I remember they used to have a store downtown at the World Financial Center here in NYC which closed due to poor performance. Their Boston store does not carry men's merchandise. To me, it seems they have stablized somewhat and are at a good size now.
 

T4phage

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Originally posted by itzamazing:
....San Fran...
X2..... San Francisco.
biggrin.gif
I learned not to call it anything but (like San Fran, or even worse; Frisco) by the locals during my university days at CAL.
 

montecristo#4

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I for one was mildly annoyed when Barney's removed the mens stuff from it's Boston (Chestnut Hill) store. Wouldn't mind seeing a real (decent sized) Barney's downtown.
 

HRHAndrew

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I think we should all pool our money and buy Barney's. I will pledge $400 and not buy the latest pair of shoes I have my eyes on. Anyone else in?
 

TCN

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It's as if the writer just wanted to work the word "flagship" in there.
biggrin.gif
We used to have a Barney's in Detroit (along with an annual warehouse sale), and I was told that it tended to have the second or third highest net sales per sq. ft. of any other Barney's locations, yet they closed it down.
 

A Harris

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I learned not to call it anything but (like San Fran, or even worse; Frisco) by the locals during my university days at CAL.
Yes, they do get upset about that
smile.gif
Doesn't keep me from using the nicks though
devil.gif
 

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