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But most people aren't looking at crime records before they shop. I don't think those incidents have anything to do with it's downfall. I mean there are shopping areas even in Suitland that are bustling. There are still some busy places at the Blvd, Golden Coral, Chik Fil A, and Carolina Kitchen are always packed, but the shopping selection is a bore.
I'm not following where you are going with this. You said based on this thread that the incidents that happened there seemed infrequent. I was only pointing out that, going by heralded cases does not illustrate how safe or unsafe a shopping center is. No people may not necessarily go by crime records, but they do read online reviews, talk to other people who may have shopped there, etc. I mean if I knew someone who went there and was stuck up at gun point, it would probably make me hesitate shopping there. I don't need a news report or a crime report to make that decision.
Would love to know what shopping centers you are referring to in Suitland. I could be wrong, but I think sometimes people confuse Suitland, Forestville,Temple Hills and District Heights because they often are misnamed. Can't think of any shopping centers in Suitland that are bustling. The biggest named store in Suitland proper is Rite Aid.
I agree those businesses stay busy, but when you have most of the other businesses in the shopping center closing, there has to be a reason and something that needs to be addressed. I think you may be misinterpreting what I am trying to say.
I'm not following where you are going with this. You said based on this thread that the incidents that happened there seemed infrequent. I was only pointing out that, going by heralded cases does not illustrate how safe or unsafe a shopping center is. No people may not necessarily go by crime records, but they do read online reviews, talk to other people who may have shopped there, etc. I mean if I knew someone who went there and was stuck up at gun point, it would probably make me hesitate shopping there. I don't need a news report or a crime report to make that decision.
Would love to know what shopping centers you are referring to in Suitland. I could be wrong, but I think sometimes people confuse Suitland, Forestville,Temple Hills and District Heights because they often are misnamed. Can't think of any shopping centers in Suitland that are bustling. The biggest named store in Suitland proper is Rite Aid.
I agree those businesses stay busy, but when you have most of the other businesses in the shopping center closing, there has to be a reason and something that needs to be addressed. I think you may be misinterpreting what I am trying to say.
I was mainly responding to those who say the Blvd is mainly dying because of crime, not really to you with the exception of my first comment that people don't check crime records. There is a shopping center with a Target, Staples, Starbucks, etc, which is actually Forestville I guess but there is also another shopping center with a Giant which I believe is Suitland. It would seem based on perceptions these places should be ghost towns.
I was mainly responding to those who say the Blvd is mainly dying because of crime, not really to you with the exception of my first comment that people don't check crime records. There is a shopping center with a Target, Staples, Starbucks, etc, which is actually Forestville I guess but there is also another shopping center with a Giant which I believe is Suitland. It would seem based on perceptions these places should be ghost towns.
Understood.
That Giant and that whole shopping center is actually District Heights (assuming you are talking about the one at the corner of Route 4 with the Chick Fil-A). Suitland High School, which is a few blocks down from it, is actually in District Heights too. Suitland really isn't all that large. It's odd because I used to work at the Suitland Federal Center, and most employees would not step foot at most places near our complex but I saw many, many co-workers at the shopping center you are referring to. The areas are right near each other but the perception of District Heights and Suitland is very different. Shows how reputation by word of mouth hurts places. Most of those people don't know anything about PG, they just go where people tell them they will be safe.
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Originally Posted by TheScab
LOL, Nordstrom would never come here. We all know Nordstrom has some nice designer stuff, but it is definitely priced very high (all relative because to the truly wealthy, Nordstrom is like JC Penny). The wealthy areas of PG County are not large enough to support a Nordstrom because there is not enough real wealth. Many in PG County who contribute to this "wealthy" image, actually only have the appearance of wealth. They may live in $700,000+ homes when purchased but now they are vastly underwater, they may drive a nice luxury car but could not afford to buy it outright, they may be up to their nose in credit card/student loan debt, but since many feel they make a decent $100,000 a year for the federal government or $150,000 plus private industry, many think this is wealth......of course until they lose their job.
Then you have those in certain areas of (Annapolis, Mo County, VA) who live in modest homes, drive modest cars and look like the average joe who could be worth $2 million +. Those are the clientale for a Nordstroms. Those folks who shop at Nordstrom don't even blink about spending $1,000 for a suit, $500 for a dress or $250 for a pair of jeans. Some in PG County may be able to afford this, but are there enough them? No. And the small amount who could truly afford to shop at Nordstrom, would they shop there? Maybe not.
Nordstrom knows this. PG County is more suited for a Nordstrom Rack.
This is the most inaacurate statement about Nordstrom, i should know since years back in college I worked there...You do not have to be a $2 millionaire to shop at Nordstrom, as a previous poster stated they are not any Neiman Marcus or Saks...Nordstrom prides themselves on being "a notch above" Macys when in actuallity they are very similar if not barely above them... Also trust I know this from 1st hand experience, many people who shop at who shop at Nordstrom don't really have it!!! I knew customers that literally would waltz in there with their only pair of designer shoes they owned just to shop and feel comfortable amongst the other shoppers. This was on multiple occasions not just a few times. I'm not trying to downgrade what reputation the company has built up, but just making a point that many customers there are not the wealthiest people.
You'd be crazy to think no communities in PG County make enough "real money" to support Nordstrom. Take that Fairwood/Woodmore North area along 450, you think people there can't afford a $300 pair of shoes?? Also remember not every "wealthy" community is exactly the same or created equal, people in "wealthy" Fort Washington may not spend money on the same things as those in "wealthy" Mitchellville/Bowie.
Last edited by the resident09; 02-06-2014 at 07:09 PM..
I'm not following where you are going with this. You said based on this thread that the incidents that happened there seemed infrequent. I was only pointing out that, going by heralded cases does not illustrate how safe or unsafe a shopping center is. No people may not necessarily go by crime records, but they do read online reviews, talk to other people who may have shopped there, etc. I mean if I knew someone who went there and was stuck up at gun point, it would probably make me hesitate shopping there. I don't need a news report or a crime report to make that decision.
Would love to know what shopping centers you are referring to in Suitland. I could be wrong, but I think sometimes people confuse Suitland, Forestville,Temple Hills and District Heights because they often are misnamed. Can't think of any shopping centers in Suitland that are bustling. The biggest named store in Suitland proper is Rite Aid.
I agree those businesses stay busy, but when you have most of the other businesses in the shopping center closing, there has to be a reason and something that needs to be addressed. I think you may be misinterpreting what I am trying to say.
Penn Station Shopping Center and the shopping center right next to it where the Shoppers used to be, along with the shopping center where the Rite-Aid and Jiffy Lube are and the shopping center with the Chick-Fil-A and Giant where the old RV dealership used to be back in the '90s/early '00s are all in District Heights.
I think the strip mall looking shopping center where in the Dunkin Donuts is might be Forestville.
That Giant and that whole shopping center is actually District Heights (assuming you are talking about the one at the corner of Route 4 with the Chick Fil-A). Suitland High School, which is a few blocks down from it, is actually in District Heights too. Suitland really isn't all that large. It's odd because I used to work at the Suitland Federal Center, and most employees would not step foot at most places near our complex but I saw many, many co-workers at the shopping center you are referring to. The areas are right near each other but the perception of District Heights and Suitland is very different. Shows how reputation by word of mouth hurts places. Most of those people don't know anything about PG, they just go where people tell them they will be safe.
Yeah I think people get confused because there is a 'Welcome to Suitland' sign right next to that shopping center. It may have been part of Suitland at some point but it's not anymore.
The shooting at Columbia Mall hasn't turned away retailers or had a sharp decline on shopper turnout. Security also increased shortly thereafter. Soon as I entered the mall we were greeted by a uniformed armed guard, there were also other officers on the premises. Although, throughout the community it did scare people most believe it was isolated and there was some kind of connection that evidence has not been able to provide (definitively). Also the assumption that there was a connection was "upsetting" the victims' families so they stopped reporting and speculating such since again it couldn't be definitively proved.
I agree that the issue at BLVD is that these violent crimes kept happening over and over. They weren't isolated but rather linked to the problematic and surrounding crime infested areas unfortunately. Management failed to be proactive about the situation as it happened over and over. You never saw changes in security or anything, only changes you would see is the loss of yet another retailer sadly. So in my opinion, comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges.
The shooting at Columbia Mall hasn't turned away retailers or had a sharp decline on shopper turnout. Security also increased shortly thereafter. Soon as I entered the mall we were greeted by a uniformed armed guard, there were also other officers on the premises. Although, throughout the community it did scare people most believe it was isolated and there was some kind of connection that evidence has not been able to provide (definitively). Also the assumption that there was a connection was "upsetting" the victims' families so they stopped reporting and speculating such since again it couldn't be definitively proved.
I agree that the issue at BLVD is that these violent crimes kept happening over and over. They weren't isolated but rather linked to the problematic and surrounding crime infested areas unfortunately. Management failed to be proactive about the situation as it happened over and over. You never saw changes in security or anything, only changes you would see is the loss of yet another retailer sadly. So in my opinion, comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges.
Yeah that's a great point. Having a lot of security after a shooting sends a message to shoppers of how serious they are about protecting them and likely gives a sense of comfort. Reacting to a shooting and keeping things as status quo will not comfort shoppers. As I stated earlier, businesses have to find ways to appease their most conservative shoppers. There will be people that will overlook crime for many different reasons, but for those who pay attention to the smallest of incidents, if you want to keep them coming, you have to give them some assurance that you are being proactive or else you will lose them.
Yeah. That retail mix reminds me of Tyson's Galleria. Porsche Design, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany, Apple, etc. As much as I am an advocate of PG, getting Nordstroms into BTC or Woodmoore is a stretch unless there is some radical retail explosion at one of those places. The ONLY place that could pull that off in the county would be National Harbor. And even that would be a stretch. Too bad that's not a mall. We need the low-hanging fruit first. There are no Apple stores. Not even at the state's flagship campus. Tanger gets the nod for having the most upscale brands, but they are discount stores and not full retail.
Nordstrom Rack may just be that low-hanging fruit that would get us bigger wins down the road.
I 100% Agree that Nordstroms will NEVER come to PG County, for the simple fact the clothes quality/prices are center around concentrated rich resident. Honestly I'm going to use Montgomery County and Fairfax County as example, anywhere within both of those county you could place Nordstroms and it would do well because there concentrated wealth from all direction. Let say Nordstroms was placed in Germantown for instance, Germantown ($80,000 median income) is connected to Clarksburg (median income $100,000), Potomac ($200,000 median income), North Potomac ($150,000 median income) and Darnestown ($150,000 median Income) there all center around Germantown, so Nordstrom would survive within that area
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