Saks 5th Avenue is leaving the Galleria, to be replaced with Belk! (Dallas: salon, wedding)

[Big G]

1) I don't know anything about Belk, but it has to be better for the mall than an empty anchor.

2) Willow Bend's bigger problem was its ridiculous initial store mix. They left half the mall empty, rather than allow mainstream stuff like GameStop, GAP, etc. in their hallowed gound. Even Galleria and Northpark have SOME ordinary stores.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

** Its like jeans at macys. All the jeans are sitting on a factory in china and the job is to grab the "label" and slap it on the jean. I am sure the same generic jean at walmart is the same quality jean at macys for 100 bucks..except its on the macys shelf with the label put on.

Not exactly. Most of the premium denim brands are made in downtown Los Angeles from either Japanese or American made denim. There is a reason those things cost more. Now, the jeans at Old Navy vs Hollister vs Target are all pretty close in make & quality (and may even come from the next row down at the same factory), but once you get into the $100-150& up denim, it is a better product and made in the USA.

Same thing with the $50-60 cotton tshirts (most made in downtown LA also) vs the $5-30 ones at Banana, Kohl's, Express, etc.

[mom2gurls]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Not exactly. Most of the premium denim brands are made in downtown Los Angeles from either Japanese or American made denim. There is a reason those things cost more. Now, the jeans at Old Navy vs Hollister vs Target are all pretty close in make & quality (and may even come from the next row down at the same factory), but once you get into the $100-150& up denim, it is a better product and made in the USA.

Same thing with the $50-60 cotton tshirts (most made in downtown LA also) vs the $5-30 ones at Banana, Kohl's, Express, etc.

Thanks for the insight! you made me remember of a family friend who started in the tshirt business, oh about 25 years ago..he was a teenager back then. His parents thought he was crazy trying to get into tshirts...fast forward 25 years later, college, mba, married kids going off to high school...they have a HUGE warehouse of import/export, usa made and imported...you guessed it..tshirts and activewear. He is a couple of years older and he must have minting while we were both in college!

I grew up in so cal and totally forgot about the LA garment district/warehouses!!

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

Thanks for the insight! you made me remember of a family friend who started in the tshirt business, oh about 25 years ago..he was a teenager back then. His parents thought he was crazy trying to get into tshirts...fast forward 25 years later, college, mba, married kids going off to high school...they have a HUGE warehouse of import/export, usa made and imported...you guessed it..tshirts and activewear. He is a couple of years older and he must have minting while we were both in college!

I grew up in so cal and totally forgot about the LA garment district/warehouses!!

There are also a lot of clothes still made in NYC, too. They aren't the cheap ones, but I'd rather spend my discretionary income on 1 pair of Hudson jeans vs 2 pair at Banana Republic or one knock-out Phillip Lim dress than 3-4 from Anthropologie. Even within brands, some items may be made in China while others are in the US or Europe. You can learn a lot by reading labels and choosing to have fewer items in your wardrobe that are better qualify and hopefully supporting American brands, workers, and factories

[happycrow]

I'm a man of decidedly middle-class means (long on education, short on saleable skills), and so have used a clothier for years rather than pay retail markup. Was Sak's inventory that far inferior to NM's?

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by happycrow

I'm a man of decidedly middle-class means (long on education, short on saleable skills), and so have used a clothier for years rather than pay retail markup. Was Sak's inventory that far inferior to NM's?

So far as men's clothes in recent years there was/is no real comparison.

My wife's role at work dictates that she dress exceptionally well. She also buys mountains of clothes for our daughter - they shop like you and I breathe as in all the time. I pay the bills so I know where she shops. She spends more at NM than any other clothing store. I've never seen a Saks bill of any kind and her office is very near Saks.


If you've found a way to have custom mens clothes made that's less than retail pls DM me how.

[mom2gurls]

Originally Posted by happycrow

I'm a man of decidedly middle-class means (long on education, short on saleable skills), and so have used a clothier for years rather than pay retail markup. Was Sak's inventory that far inferior to NM's?

Yes Please share! You can drop me a DM too!

[Staysean23]

Originally Posted by EDS_

And a center of economic underachievement.

Tha

[Staysean23]

Originally Posted by EDS_

And a center of economic underachievement.

Yawn. What's that your final come back?

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by R1070

Saks leaving looks worse for Saks than Dallas. We are the only city outside of NYC to be the hometown of such a luxury dept store chain. Neiman's rules the Dallas area and Barney's and Saks could not provide the same customer service experience. Dallas has multiple locations of Neimans with one of them being the flagship (downtown) and one being the #1 profiting in the chain. Dallas shoppers are very sensitive and Saks and Barneys didn't give them what they wanted apparently.

Sounds like you're rationalizing the hometown monopoly here. I hate stopping by HEB for sundries while on vacation in San Antonio since they are the only one in town. NM is on its way there in DFW.

(I noticed this thread as the newest in the Texas forum and thought the title referred to the Houston Galleria. First Macy's in Downtown and now this? Whew what a relief!)