Downtown Crossing/Financial District | Discussion

tmac9wr said:
I understand people wanting independent stores to reign supreme in this area--and for the most part they do--but this was absolutely necessary for this location. As others have mentioned: the size alone was enough to only be available to a major chain store.

Some have been saying this is a bad thing...but whether we like it or not, this is the world we live in. Pharmacy goods, electronics, and food are going to come from large chain companies for the most part. It doesn't matter if you're in Manhattan, NY or Manhattan, KS. That's our world.

But let's not think of this from the macro (Boston or the world) standpoint...let's focus on DTX. What's one thing we've said this area needs? A large grocery store that will be open 24 hours. This isn't that exact fit, but it's close. And it will provide a lot of services that residents will be interested in, not just commuters and tourists.

Overall this is a win, and who knows what positive affects this could have on the neighborhood. This could inspire new cafes, bars, or restaurants in expectation that more people will be spending more living time in the area.
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Tmac -- well said!

From CNBC's website:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/46542141/Wal...pharmacy_including_company_s_new_store_format

Walgreens Named One of Fast Company Magazine's Most Innovative Health Care Companies Walgreens recognized for second time in three years for innovations to advance community pharmacy, including company's new store format
Published: Monday, 27 Feb 2012 | 11:00 AM ET
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DEERFIELD, Ill., Feb 27, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- For the second time in three years, Walgreens (NYSE: WAG)(NASDAQ: WAG) has been selected by Fast Company Magazine as one of the health care industry's most innovative companies, as part of the magazine's "Fast 50" issue, celebrating the world's most innovative companies.

Walgreens was recognized for leadership and innovation in health care services, from its Well Experience store format -- highlighted by a new approach to the pharmacy and health care experience -- to addressing the need for greater access to healthy foods in underserved communities, and plans to become the nation's leading retail host of electric vehicle charging stations......

About Walgreens Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion. The company operates 7,830 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America.....
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Not sure it's been reported here, looks new:

Hubway station at the corner of Summer and Arch St.
 
No, no this gets full treatment.

Boston.com - March 28, 2012
A Wegmans in Downtown Crossing? Grocery chain is scouting Boston locations
E-mail| Print | Comments (53) 03/28/2012 10:14 AM
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff

Wegmans is looking to open a supermarket in Boston and would consider a site in Downtown Crossing, the company’s chief executive Danny Wegman said today during a speech before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

The New York grocery chain launched its first Massachusetts store last fall in Northborough and had a record grand opening at the massive 138,000 square foot food emporium.

“We believe we belong in Boston, not just in the suburbs,” Wegman said.

Wegman said he is looking at several properties in Boston today, but they did not include sites in Downtown Crossing or on the Boston waterfront -- two neighborhoods with major redevelopment projects in the works.

When asked by an audience member whether the company would open a supermarket in Boston, and specifically consider Downtown Crossing, Danny Wegman responded: “Yes there is. No, we don’t have a site.”

Wegman already has plans to launch grocery stores in Burlington, and a smaller 70,000 square foot store in Chestnut Hill, making it almost half the size of the company’s typical supermarket.

That format would likely be the model for a grocery store in Boston. Wegman said he is fascinated with the Boston market because it is the most highly educated and densely populated market the chain has ever served, but it is also a scary experience to change its successful model.

“In some ways, coming to Boston is terrifying. Going from 130,000 feet to 70,000, you’re making an enormous amount of guesses,” Wegman said. “This is a big deal for us.”
Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.
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And may I add:
Fuck. Yes.
 
As long as it's not a Market Basket or Price Chopper, I am fine with it. Of course, I am sure Menino and co. will take issue if they are not unionized.
 
Between this and the super Walgreens, get ready for a condo boom...
 
It's too bad Walgreens got to the ex-Borders site first, as that would have been a perfect location for Wegman's.
 
I'd say Walgreens is a better fit for the site, which doesn't really have critical mass residential population (yet). This way, it can cater to a growing residential pop as well as office workers popping in for a quick bite / errand.
 
czsz said:
I'd say Walgreens is a better fit for the site, which doesn't really have critical mass residential population (yet). This way, it can cater to a growing residential pop as well as office workers popping in for a quick bite / errand.
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CZ -- I'm not sure Wgmans is ready for heavy urbanity -- here's a quote from Danny Wegman's

comments to the GB Chamber Meeting:
Menino ready to welcome Wegmans
By Brendan Lynch And Jerry Kronenberg
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 - Updated 21 hours ago
http://www.bostonherald.com/busines...ket_in_downtown_crossing/srvc=home&position=1

“It’s the most highly educated market we serve,” he said. “That’s good in one sense. It’s bad in that it makes me believe all of the things I’ve wanted to do over the years will come true here. That may not be the case. That’s the realistic, scary part for us.”

He also noted it’s Wegmans’ most densely populated market.

“I know a lot of folks walk or take the train places here,” he said. “I don’t know what a train looks like. No one walks where I come from. You walk for exercise, you don’t walk to get anything. So it’s scary for us.”

Wegman attended Harvard University, where he said he wasn’t great at attending class, but nevertheless learned lessons about his family business from economics classes.

“That’s what I got out of Harvard: Fixed costs, high volume, expenses down and use the savings to make the store more service-oriented,” he said.
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It's kind of interesting what he said about trains -- if I recollect correctly there was a subway stop just outside Hahhhhhhhhhhhhhhvd Yaaahhhhhhhd when he was a student
 
“I know a lot of folks walk or take the train places here,” he said. “I don’t know what a train looks like. No one walks where I come from. You walk for exercise, you don’t walk to get anything. So it’s scary for us.”

lololol. I really can't imagine being from anywhere outside of the BosWash corridor where a response like this is the norm. This actually makes me scared to ever leave it.
 
What's Wegmans? It seems like people are really pumped about it, but I don't know anything about it.
 
^ It's a Rochester, NY based supermarket chain. When I lived in Buffalo, it was considered an everyday grocery store. But for some reason, people in the Northeast Corridor think of it as some kind of second coming of Whole Foods and eagerly anticipate when it will arrive in their city...

I mean, some of the recent stores they've built are impressively huge, but so is any given Super Stop & Shop.
 
czsz said:
^ It's a Rochester, NY based supermarket chain. When I lived in Buffalo, it was considered an everyday grocery store. But for some reason, people in the Northeast Corridor think of it as some kind of second coming of Whole Foods and eagerly anticipate when it will arrive in their city...

I mean, some of the recent stores they've built are impressively huge, but so is any given Super Stop & Shop.
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I suspect you are right and it is nothing special, but I (and maybe others) so desperately want to believe that it will shake us out of our Stop & Shaw's stupor... I thought it was interesting that Wegman talked about what an "educated" market this was. I would have assumed so too when I moved here almost two years ago, but I'm still trying to figure out where the educated people shop...
 
It honestly won't do anything Whole Foods and Trader Joe's haven't done 10x over already. It's minimally more "healthy" than S&S, but nowhere near as much as WF.

Oh, and the smart people shop at Cardullo's.
 
BostonUrbEx said:
“I know a lot of folks walk or take the train places here,” he said. “I don’t know what a train looks like. No one walks where I come from. You walk for exercise, you don’t walk to get anything. So it’s scary for us.”

lololol. I really can't imagine being from anywhere outside of the BosWash corridor where a response like this is the norm. This actually makes me scared to ever leave it.
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I'm sure he's just being folksy. But still, to even be able to come up with a line like that requires a range of experiences I'd rather not have. But it's not just BosWash, there are other parts of the country where people walk to get things and take trains.
 
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