Does the retail in Dallas and Houston truly compare? (Laredo: sales, home)

[Dallas retail updater]

Over the last fifty years, the luxury retail in Houston has centered mainly around the Houston Galleria / Uptown area. In that same period, luxury retail in Dallas has risen and fallen in the Galleria Dallas / Addison area, Preston Center, and The Miracle Mile shopping centers and districts. Here recently, luxury retail has been developing in central Dallas big time in the downtown area, the Uptown Dallas area, and Knox-Henderson.

I don't want to argue about this. It is clear that Dallas is the more dynamic market. The two cities shouldn't be compared, but contrasted. Though I appreciate the info that the gentleman posts every month pertaining to luxury retail in the two large metropolitan areas, I do feel it is misleading for those living outside the two areas.

For example, according to Brian Bolke of Forty-Five-Ten fame, during the mid eighties, the two metropolitan areas in the United States most responsible for exporting luxury retail to the rest of the United States and the rest of the world were New York City and Dallas. The simple reason he gave for this was the warmer climate of the south and the tendency for women living there to wear white.

Simply put, the city of Dallas has always home grown its own luxury retail. There are large numbers of buyers and designers involved in stocking new products in its area stores from around the world.

Don't believe me? Look up the boutiques located in Inwood Village, The Miracle Mile, the Plaza at Preston Center, and Snider Plaza and check their history. It is considered a big deal to establish stores even in these secondary shopping centers and districts.

The retail in Houston is impressive, but it does not compare to Dallas. Very few cities in the world do.

[TurtleCreek80]

Hi "Yellow Pool of Piddle". I see you've changed your name....

[jackalope48]

Kinda seems like more Dallas bluster without any specific evidence. There has been a ton of high end retail development in Houston all along the Westeimer corridor. A Dallas based writer claiming Dallas is awesome isn't evidence. Claiming Dallas is more influential than Miami or LA in the fashion business is just nuts, that it has some standing in the international fashion business is certifiably crazy. Are there rich people in Dallas that high end retailers sell to? yes. Are there rich people in Dallas who open pet project boutiques? yes. Are there things you can get in Dallas you can't get in Houston? Nope. Why? Because nearly all of it is designed in New York, Paris, London, and Milan and they don't see any difference in the two markets.

[Mr. Clutch]

Welcome back Yellow Pool of Piddle. Wondered what happened to you and your odd retail focus lol.

[Dallas retail updater]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

Welcome back Yellow Pool of Piddle. Wondered what happened to you and your odd retail focus lol.

I wanted to get rid of the nasty name. I don't have a retail focus as much as a political agenda. People do better when the focus is placed upon retail. Meanwhile, they get cheated by supporting the construction of empty skyscrapers.

[Dallas retail updater]

Originally Posted by jackalope48

Kinda seems like more Dallas bluster without any specific evidence. There has been a ton of high end retail development in Houston all along the Westeimer corridor. A Dallas based writer claiming Dallas is awesome isn't evidence. Claiming Dallas is more influential than Miami or LA in the fashion business is just nuts, that it has some standing in the international fashion business is certifiably crazy. Are there rich people in Dallas that high end retailers sell to? yes. Are there rich people in Dallas who open pet project boutiques? yes. Are there things you can get in Dallas you can't get in Houston? Nope. Why? Because nearly all of it is designed in New York, Paris, London, and Milan and they don't see any difference in the two markets.

I'm just arguing that the two markets contrast. One important way they contrast is the location of the airports. In Houston, pertaining to its retail, one focuses on Uptown Houston and the Houston Galleria. In Dallas, the focus is put on Love Field. When he built the Dallas Galleria along the LBJ freeway, Gerald Hines was taking advantage of restrictions placed upon Love Field. He was also aware that Central Expressway would one day have to be widened.

I did present in the original post an argument that the two markets contrast more than they compare by how dynamic the Dallas market is. For example, there was a show recently on PBS about the Houston Uptown /Galleria area describing it as a retail mecca and a Texas 'legacy.' The Dallas area had the equivalent of that twenty-five years ago in and around the Galleria Dallas / Addison area. Significance? Much of that has since been demolished. However, Dallas retail is so dynamic that it is now already in a stage of redevelopment

Indeed, in the area I mention, there were ten department stores in three indoor malls and one outside one. Of those department stores, six of them were luxury retail. This area encompassed 1.5 square miles.

Pound for pound, when considering every level of what makes up retail, there is not another retail market in the world with more prowess than Dallas. If there is, please mention it. I think this is an aspect about Dallas that most outsiders are unaware.

[jackalope48]

Originally Posted by Dallas retail updater

Pound for pound, when considering every level of what makes up retail, there is not another retail market in the world with more prowess than Dallas. If there is, please mention it. I think this is an aspect about Dallas that most outsiders are unaware.

New York, LA, London, Paris, Miami, Tokyo, Milan, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, any major Chinese city... You seem to equate large numbers of suburban style mid price point power centers with retail prowess. That's the only thing I can think of that Dallas might be preeminent in, which isn't a claim to fame.

If you are going retail sales as a percentage of regional city income it's Laredo and Mcallen far ahead of everyone else in Texas.

Houston has plenty of retail outside of the Galleria which if you saw what post oak blvd looked like 15-20 years ago you would know has been majorly redeveloped. It's Downtown area lifestyle center is Rice Village which was redeveloped 20 years ago, followed shortly after by Highland Village in River Oaks.

Retail doesn't drive anything economically. Retail follows roof tops and demographics controls where high end retailers go.

[TheOverdog]

For one thing, Dallas incorporates zoning while Houston is the largest city in this hemisphere that doesn't.

Houston doesn't have an overarching zoning code, but has tons of rules that concern development which create defacto zoning and is why Houston and Dallas look pretty much the same and have developed mostly the same. New York City for example has looser zoning rules than Houston and looks markedly different than Houston even though it has zoning and Houston doesn't. Taiwan has even looser zoning rules than NYC and looks even more different.

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Houston doesn't have an overarching zoning code, but has tons of rules that concern development which create defacto zoning and is why Houston and Dallas look pretty much the same and have developed mostly the same. New York City for example has looser zoning rules than Houston and looks markedly different than Houston even though it has zoning and Houston doesn't. Taiwan has even looser zoning rules than NYC and looks even more different.

This^^. Houston does have pretty stringent minimum parking requirements, which exacerbates the issues of sprawl. The whole "Houston is libertarian because it has no zoning" isn't exactly true. Dallas used to be worse, but it has relaxed many of those requirements in order to allow more pedestrian-oriented development to occur.

[Dallas retail updater]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Houston doesn't have an overarching zoning code, but has tons of rules that concern development which create defacto zoning and is why Houston and Dallas look pretty much the same and have developed mostly the same. New York City for example has looser zoning rules than Houston and looks markedly different than Houston even though it has zoning and Houston doesn't. Taiwan has even looser zoning rules than NYC and looks even more different.

I am trying to avoid criticizing and stating my opinion which leads to bickering. Instead, I just want to contrast the two areas. I believe the two areas don't compare. However, if you think so, please post that opinion.

For example, I think the Houston area loaded up with more malls than did North Texas. The malls in North Texas tend to be more regional in purpose. Towneast mall is perhaps the best example of a regional mall in the state of Texas drawing millions of customers in from Arkansas, Louisiana, and East Texas.

I think all those malls surrounding Houston helped erode away in the inner city a lot of its unique long established bohemian retail.