Changes in Downtown cause mixed retailer reactions
Downtown’s retail scene is in a state of flux, with two retailers planning to make some changes in light of the Macy’s closing, while two others may go the way of the department store itself.
Representatives of Boutique La Passerelle on Wood Street and Larrimor’s on Fifth Avenue said Wednesday they intend to adjust inventory at their stores to compensate for the loss of the department store.
While both see opportunity in Macy’s demise, retailers Serendipity at 2 PPG Place and Denim Xpress on Wood Street, like the department store, have decided that it might be time to move on.
Stung by limited parking, construction and “challenging” sales, Serendipity will close its Downtown store and move to Tanger Outlets in Washington County next month. Faced with construction and slow sales, the owner of Denim Xpress said he might shutter the store and lease the space to someone else.
Neither of the moves would be directly related to Macy’s closing, but they highlight the challenges facing some Downtown retailers despite the growing residential population and vibrant restaurant scene.
Serendipity has been Downtown for 12 years, the last eight at 2 PPG. Co-owner Pete Coppola said the store has had a hard time overcoming challenges like limited parking.
He said he lost parking outside the store on Forbes Avenue when it became a two-way road and saw more gobbled up by a bike-sharing station located across the street. Both made it difficult for customers to come Downtown to shop at the store.
That, combined with “challenging” and “very inconsistent” sales, proved to be too much.
“I just think it’s a very unfriendly situation for the retail in Downtown Pittsburgh,” he said.
He added there seems to be a “lack of communication” between the mayor’s office and
Downtown groups in “what direction they want to go.”
“One wants to do this, one wants to do that. What they’re doing, they’re not taking into consideration how it might be affecting the other businesses,” he said.
Denim Xpress owner Eitan Solomon said he has been “suffering a lot” because of the construction of the $400 million PNC Bank headquarters across the street. “If I can find somebody who will give me this in rent, I will be out of here,” he said.
Mr. Solomon has operated the urban clothing store since 1996. He bemoaned the lack of foot traffic at the location. “Nobody strolls around to do the shopping they used to do,” he said. “They don’t come. There’s nothing to bring them here.”
While Mr. Solomon believes conditions will improve once the PNC tower is finished this fall, “I don’t know if better is enough for me to survive.”
Other retailers intend to seize the moment in the wake of the Macy’s closing.
Boutique La Passerelle, a women’s clothing store, plans to add to its clothing and accessories inventory, owner Adele Morelli said. It currently sells clothing from Spain and Portugal, but may add domestic and more imported brands.
“I think we’re going to have to step up our game to fill in some gaps,” Ms. Morelli said.
The Macy’s closing, she said, may have a positive impact in that it could force shoppers to migrate to smaller stores like hers. The boutique has been in Downtown five years and has no plans to leave.
“We’re committed to Downtown. We see the potential and possibilities. It’s too bad Macy’s didn’t see that as well,” Ms. Morelli said.
Larrimor’s, meanwhile, is “thinking about selectively adding cosmetics and hosiery” to the women’s department, co-owner Lisa Slesinger said.
“Many of our female shoppers went to Macy’s primarily for makeup and hosiery, so we will be looking at how to best accommodate their needs,” she explained in an email.
Larrimor’s just celebrated its 76th year in business. With the residential and restaurant growth, “there is every reason to believe that better retail can and will come Downtown,” Ms. Slesinger said.
At the Union Trust Building, The Davis Companies, the new owner, is in “advanced discussions with a number of restaurant owners to take a significant portion” of the mostly vacant first floor, said Jonathan Davis, CEO and founder.
He noted that between the Union Trust and Macy’s redevelopments, $200 million is being invested in a twoblock area of Downtown. He believes the Macy’s remake proposed by Philadelphia developer Core Realty — with two floors of retail, a 155-room hotel and 311 luxury apartments — will have a positive impact.
“I think Macy’s has been running on fumes and the love the community has for Kaufmann’s for years. If Core does what they ought to be able to do, it should be far more energetic and far more positive for the neighborhood than [what] Macy’s has been providing,” he said.