Urban retail: smoothing the way to store opening

Large urban areas are becoming hot spots for a range of retailers. The density of people and income is enticing and, as the general public's confidence in the economy improves, their tendencies to spend more money increase. The smart retailer will anticipate this trend and have stores open to take advantage of the increased spending as it occurs, rather than planning for openings after the trend has begun.

Taking advantage of this opportunity means a lot of hard work for the retailer with a street location. The retailer who decides to roll out stores in an urban environment should be aware that the process will be very different than it is in a regional mall. Without experience, those retailers and their architects may be shocked at how different the process is.

For starters, there are the practical and technical difficulties of construction in an existing, older building. Chances are good that there will be no existing building drawings or documentation, and, if there are, there is no guarantee that what is drawn accurately reflects reality.

In a large urban environment, such as New York City, the difficulties are multiplied by the layers of bureaucracy and the complex permits and approvals required. Among the involved agencies and required approvals might be those relating to the building owner, the building department, the zoning ordinance, the local community planning board and the landmarks commission, depending on the location of the project. In addition, if the building is mixed-use, particularly combining residential with retail below, it will probably be necessary to negotiate the hours during which construction is allowed. For one client, this entailed negotiation with the co-op board of the building, the city's building department, and the unions and contractors who were expected to work on the project.

Many specialty retailers work with designers or architects from their home cities or regions in implementing their prototypes around the country. This works very well in many situations. However, a number of retailers have discovered that, when planning stores in new urban environments, the most efficient way to cope with the potential difficulties, and the time and cost considerations they represent, is to hire a local professional to smooth the way.

Typically this professional is a local retail architect who does not replace the retailer's design team, but rather assists and supports them in whatever way may be required - but especially by providing on-site representation and local know-how.

This might entail site analysis as well as representing the retailer in lease negotiations with the landlord. It would certainly involve providing the design architect with the information necessary to process and obtain approval for his documents, not only through the building department, but through all other agencies that may be required.

It would most likely include representing the design architect during the construction process to save the cost of flying him in on a regular basis to check the progress and quality of construction. It might also include recommending local engineers, building department expediters, inspection consultants and contractors. In short, the local architect becomes the retailer's implementation consultant and project facilitator.

Fulfilling this role will mean different things in every case. For instance, typically in this arrangement, the local architect will review drawings but not develop them. For The Nature Company's flagship New York City store, however, a range of technical expertise and support assistance was provided, including, in the interest of expedience, the preparation of building facade drawings to obtain approvals from the building owner and the New York City Landmarks Commission.

For Smith & Hawken, whose SoHo store is in New York City's Cast Iron District, solving the logistics of moving merchandise was an additional component. In this case the problem was how to move merchandise from the large cross-country trailers at curb side, across the sidewalk and up a flight of stairs into the building. Another problem was rubbish removal and disposal, which is complicated by New York City's moratorium on on-street dumpsters, which runs from November 15 through January 1. Again, local experience helped resolve what could have been an annoying crisis.

City street retailing offers fabulous opportunities for a wide variety of retailers, particularly specialty retailers. A local architectural representative with extensive retail experience, coupled with expertise in completing projects in the particular city, can make the experience of opening such a store a positive one. Seeking local knowledge can also reinforce an overall image by helping to elevate the customer's shopping experience as well as providing support for a retailer's long-term vision. In short, local input can be an image advantage.

COPYRIGHT 1995 Hagedorn Publication
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group