Birmingham retail wish list (Homewood, Southside: buy, cabinets, living)

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by jakabedy

Yeah. We're not getting an IKEA. I can't imagine us ever getting an IKEA when ATL's IKEA is two hours away.

I also don't understand why we don't have a Trader Joe's. Heck, Santa Fe has a Trader Joe's, with a population of 68K. Baton Rouge is getting one, so maybe the Deep South is on the rise at last with the Trader Joe's brass. (The Baton Rouge store will be the first store in AR, LA, MS or AL).

Let's hope they have started doing it alphabetically. lol

raj

[sleepless in Bham]

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

All things come in their time. I'm sure Trader Joe's will be here soon. Their parent company is putting alot of Aldis here. The ones I have been to are in fringe areas of retail. When I think of the places that fit that image there are no spaces available. Besides when a company is that big they have to do these thing like a tight social calendar.

On Ikea, we fit well into their pop range. We are just under two million in a sixty mile radius. I don't think we are a customer base for them though. I know I am not interested. I think that they do well in cities with much larger under thirty age group that has not started buying real furniture yet. I think this is true of H&M too, their merchandise is just so disposable. I do however believe they are taking the space at the Galleria near Macy's where Brooks Brothers was. GGP has done this with a coulple of its other retail centers.

raj

IDK about IKEA, with the Atlanta location 2 hrs away. I don't think Birmingham is high on their priority list.

Trader Joe's will eventually get here.

[Tourian]

What is so great about Trader joes that isn't already covered by what we have now?

[MiamiRob]

I'm trying to figure out how Birmingham doesn't have a IKEA or a Nordstrom?

[Tourian]

Because neither of those companies have built a store here. Next tro...question.

[sleepless in Bham]

Originally Posted by MiamiRob

I'm trying to figure out how Birmingham doesn't have a IKEA or a Nordstrom?

Because Birmingham isnt a big enough market population wise for an IKEA (2 million people within a 60 mile radius).

Nordstrom was planning to open a store at Riverchase Galleria, this is before the economic downturn, and those plans were shelved at that point.

[sleepless in Bham]

Originally Posted by Tourian

What is so great about Trader joes that isn't already covered by what we have now?

Ive heard alot of good things about their stores, but to be honest ive never been to one. I guess it a case of if the Jones next door has one, then we gonna get one.

[bhamguy]

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

All things come in their time. I'm sure Trader Joe's will be here soon. Their parent company is putting alot of Aldis here. The ones I have been to are in fringe areas of retail. When I think of the places that fit that image there are no spaces available. Besides when a company is that big they have to do these thing like a tight social calendar.

On Ikea, we fit well into their pop range. We are just under two million in a sixty mile radius. I don't think we are a customer base for them though. I know I am not interested. I think that they do well in cities with much larger under thirty age group that has not started buying real furniture yet. I think this is true of H&M too, their merchandise is just so disposable. I do however believe they are taking the space at the Galleria near Macy's where Brooks Brothers was. GGP has done this with a coulple of its other retail centers.

raj

Do you really think that an H&M would fit in the old Brooks Brothers? I would hope Birmingham's 1st H&M store would be at Brookwood Village Mall in the old Gus Mayer location...that would definitely bring more traffic to the mall, and it would do well (IMO) because of it's proximity to trendy Southside and Homewood.

[bhamguy]

Originally Posted by sleepless in Bham

Because Birmingham isnt a big enough market population wise for an IKEA (2 million people within a 60 mile radius).

Nordstrom was planning to open a store at Riverchase Galleria, this is before the economic downturn, and those plans were shelved at that point.

I wish our full-line Nordstrom would've opened, but it is exciting to get more variety out of the deal...Von Maur and Nordstrom(Rack)!

[Tourian]

The summit is reaching critical mass now. It is a dice game trying to get in there on a Sunday after noon. I'm lookin foward to something else coming online to take some of the pressure off. But there looks to be no stopping that juggernaut.

I'm still wishing for Dave and Busters. Uptown needs to get rolling.

I would think IKEA would see that Birmingham has enough hipsters, college kids and minimalist urban types to want to be part of the rebirth of a downtown district. Maybe they'll come up with a smaller market concept store. 1.2 million is close enough.