NYC Mens Furnishings - Retail Location

[alliswell]

Question for the NYCers - and frequent visitors - on here: if you were looking to open a men's furnishings store in Manhattan - think cufflinks and PSs - where would you put it? Poll's up there, but I'm happy to take suggestions also.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by alliswell

Question for the NYCers - and frequent visitors - on here: if you were looking to open a men's furnishings store in Manhattan - think cufflinks and PSs - where would you put it? Poll's up there, but I'm happy to take suggestions also.

None of the above. I would put it downtown somewhere between 14th street and Grand street.

 

[Harper]

In NYC sometimes you choose your lease but, more often than not, your lease chooses you. It's hard to imagine a men's furnishings store that doesn't have some "corporate" backing being able to afford the rents on the UES/Soho/Nolita/... Best bet would be a sidestreet in midtown on the second floor or higher.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

There are plenty of places that do it.

 

[GBR]

Since when have these items been called "Mens Furnishings"?

 

[alliswell]

The meaning's clear enough in American English, though Fussell would probably have an opinion about it. You'd prefer something else? Shoot.

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

None of the above. I would put it downtown somewhere between 14th street and Grand street.

Care to elaborate? Are you talking someplace like SoHo west of Broadway?

 

[TRINI]

Why not the LES?

 

[mic]

Originally Posted by TRINI

Why not the LES?

+1

I voted for midtown, but that was the best of a bad lot of choices. I'd never go to midtown planning to buy anything. But then, I hardly buy anything in NYC anyway, except food.

 

[poorsod]

What is your expected customer base? Generic office worker, hipster etc?

 

[alliswell]

Good point. I'm thinking more discerning customer with disposable income rather than generic office worker or hipster. Think Dunhill rather than Kenneth Cole or Vingt sur Seize.

 

[sellahi22]

I say Columbus Circle. it'll get tourists and west siders going to williams-sonoma, whole foods, one of the restaurants, or that corner of central park. also there will be no competition for men's gifts in the area.

 

[Brooklands]

What about Meatpacking. Bleecker St in the WV. Chelsea (the boystown crowd spends $$). I'd say the mall is the worst idea, and midtown is next. Madison and 5th on the UES are good for a certain clientele but for the most exposure to the most varied crowd of shoppers it's SOHO. But at the end of the day Harper is right. In order to make it work on a "limited" budget in the City, your best bet is to open on a small side street somewhere, make sure your shop has a ton of atmosphere and things people want and to get the word out, because there is a TON of competition.

 

[Gus]

Mid town - you want to be in the center of things.