Fulton Attracting 'Manhattan-Type' Customers?
The Observer has a Q&A with Al Laboz—chairman of the Fulton Street Mall Association and one of the strip’s big property owners—in which Laboz talks about new businesses like H&M coming to the corridor. He has this to say about the demographics stores are looking to cater to: “Now that downtown Brooklyn is experiencing a…
The Observer has a Q&A with Al Laboz—chairman of the Fulton Street Mall Association and one of the strip’s big property owners—in which Laboz talks about new businesses like H&M coming to the corridor. He has this to say about the demographics stores are looking to cater to: “Now that downtown Brooklyn is experiencing a renaissance, with 5,000 new apartments being developed in a four-block radius, we’re getting a new type of highly educated … I’ll call them the Manhattan type of customer. And the challenge that we have on Fulton Street right now is really to keep our core local customer while also embracing the new customer that’s starting to come into Fulton Street.” Laboz also says “major, large-scale retailers” are eying 505 Fulton. Meanwhile, a reader sent in the photo above yesterday, which shows that work’s kicked off at the future home of the Shake Shack on the Fulton Mall—not a Laboz property, but certainly an example of one of the commercial corridor’s newcomers.
Albert Laboz Has a Mall in Brooklyn He’d Like to Sell You [NYO]
I live nearby and shop at Macy’s and Modells regularly. I can admire the craftsmanship that goes into the many diamond jesus pieces for sale on the strip but look forward to new and better shopping options. Downtown Brooklyn has the look and feel of the broken cities in upstate NY or the midwest. It can be better despite the fact that people are currently making good money from the way it currently exists. The kinds of stores slated to open H&M, Filenes, etc., are hardly out of reach of the budget shopper.
BTW as much as I think ROB is a total waste on this board…I do have to say I do get ironic glee that he – a gay white man – freely talks about race/stereotypes in such a foul way (bedbugs) – amazing
Bxgl: sorry, just had to come in and defend myself yet again:
But the idea that its present demographic is somehow making it a place of “crumbling commerce” is an offensive one. If you don’t like the stores on Fulton, shop where there are stores you like. We had a thread the other day where someone complained that people in the project felt entitled to a supermarket in the area (theirs had been closed down). So I should I ask you, entitled much?
I never once mentioned the demographic of the mall at all. That’s your insecure inference that anyone who doesn’t find the mall enjoyable or serve their needs must be implying that it’s the black people shopping there that keeps it from being so. And I’m sorry that your initial insult about coffee and socks didn’t help any since I outed myself as a middle class shopper. but you know, keep hurling the insults at a stranger. Call me entitled, because I would like access to affordable food in my neighborhood instead of having to haul the crap from Midtown (like EGGS. WHich is what I did yesterday.)
you’re the one who’s acting entitled–because you sit on this site all day and make judgments about strangers on the internet. Piss off.
There is nothing “offensive” about it – even if he said White (actually what he really meant was wealthy). This is a LL trying to maximize his profit (legal and legitimate). The best way to do that is to make your product (in this case RE on Fulton Mall) as desirable to as many potential customers as possible. So in an effort to do that he is talking about a broadening potential customer base for the Mall (and thereby his RE). You are just being ridiculous if you dont recognize that for a long period of time, Fulton Mall stores were catering to a Black non-wealthy demographic. And it is/was great business, since Fulton Mall has some extremely high retail rents….but if you can make the same locations desirable to the H&Ms of the world (as well as the VIMs) you have two potential tenants/demographics bidding for your RE – hence the rent goes up even more….
Everyone here loves to celebrate diversity and different shopping patterns based on ethnicity and wealth are a result of and examples of this diversity. All this guy is doing is trying to cater to as many potential customers as possible to maximize his profit. He isnt talking of exclusion or anything – it isnt racist at all, its simply business.
quote:
Grow up and get a job.
why dont you give me on on your 15 dollar organic pretzel wagon!
*rob*
Yes, Rob, that’s it EXACTLY. I want an expensive organic grocery store to open up b/c I am sick of the expensive organic grocery stores in my neighborhood. That makes perfect sense.
Grow up and get a job. I’m sick of trying to argue with people who are so afraid of change they spend their ENTIRE day commenting on a blog making fun of people who live in their neighborhood. Get a life dude. I’m out. I’ve got work to do.
I must admit I’ve never understood how all those phone stores stay in business. It’s similar to W. 8th St. btwn 5th & 6th in Manhattan w/ the shoe stores for many years. Over 2 dozen of them all selling the exact same crap.
Pretzel wagon- wherever you choose to buy your coffee or socks still doesn’t make Fulton St. a street of “crumbling commerce.” If you read more carefully you would note no one is saying don’t change or bring in new stores. we’re objecting to the racist characterization of Fulton St. When in fact it has always been very successful as a shopping district. It isn’t pretty (well neither are lots of places in NYC) nor is its store mix necessarily for the “Manhattan types” but so what?
If the success of an area is how well the businesses do there, then I don’t get the idea that somehow it needs to be salvaged from its present state. What I do get is some big store coming in, seeing the potential for making money and deciding to get space. But the idea that its present demographic is somehow making it a place of “crumbling commerce” is an offensive one. If you don’t like the stores on Fulton, shop where there are stores you like. We had a thread the other day where someone complained that people in the project felt entitled to a supermarket in the area (theirs had been closed down). So I should I ask you, entitled much?
i am an island