The New Retail Thread

ftran999 said:
I'm actually surprised there aren't more Staples or office supply stores in the DTX/FIDI section. You would think there would be a need for it with all the offices and businesses in the area.
Click to expand...

There used to be (c. 10 years ago) several small Staples stores around the Financial District. All but the one on State St (Court St?) have closed up, so the new mega one in the old Newbury Comics spot will be nice. There's a lack of places to go buy a random external hard drive or USB cable (for us in IT, natch); Staples has pretty much been it.
 
mass88 said:
True, but when you need something right away, it's nice to have a solid office supply store within a short distance.
Click to expand...

If WB Mason doesn't cut it, and you need a stapler, staples, envelopes, whatever the hell you need, there's about ten million CVS locations to chose from.
 
There is a Staples in Downtown Crossing (or right on the edge) but it is not a full service store. It is at the intersection of Summer and Kingston streets. The focus is on copying but they carry printer supplies and other general office supplies.
 
CVS does not replace the need for an office supply store. For instance, I cannot buy Epson ink at CVS. For that, I need Staples (or, occasionally, Target).
 
I think they're moving into the former Newbury Comics and Stock Cross space on Washington Mall next to City Hall.
 
9001748193_c59ffcaf33_b.jpg
 
What's going on here?

9061055156_9f81f7d8e1_b.jpg


And now over to the new Walgreens:

9058698121_e193b08a16_b.jpg


9060915958_f13b0a4f38_b.jpg


9060858108_098f5f22e0_b.jpg


9060851126_417012e12e_b.jpg


9058638809_abeaf9dda4_b.jpg


9058645469_796a912f5f_b.jpg


9060884452_2b0799d79f_b.jpg


9060890128_0b412be0f1_b.jpg


9060901914_b65ed1d863_b.jpg


9060895830_fe970cd9f0_b.jpg


9060877672_b1c9279a38_b.jpg
 
Anyone know why Walgreen's / Duane Reade is building out massive, high end retail locations? They are selling all of the same stuff as before I think.
 
Czervik.Construction said:
Anyone know why Walgreen's / Duane Reade is building out massive, high end retail locations? They are selling all of the same stuff as before I think.
Click to expand...

These locations have a much broader range of products than the traditional stores.

Until a few months ago, the idea of shopping at a Walgreen's with an in-house sushi chef would've seemed like crazy talk.
 
The walgreens building is one of the very few brutalist buildings (the BAC being the other off the top of my head) that I not only dont hate, but actually really like. They both engage with the street really well, and I'm particularly fond of the radiating pattern carried inwards with the lights. If push came to shove in the future, I'd fight to save it.
 
davem said:
The walgreens building is one of the very few brutalist buildings (the BAC being the other off the top of my head) that I not only dont hate, but actually really like. They both engage with the street really well, and I'm particularly fond of the radiating pattern carried inwards with the lights. If push came to shove in the future, I'd fight to save it.
Click to expand...

The best part is that the same firm that designed The Boston Five Cents Savings Bank (this building) is the same one that designed City Hall. ;-)

And re: your last point: if anything ever threatened this building, I would be the first one having a sit-in in the doorway. It's a brutalist gem.
 
That entire building and the one next to it either need to be majorly reworked or completely knocked down. That street's not a highway underpass anymore.
 
I think buying sushi at Walgreens is still crazy talk. :p
However, I do agree with your point.

Arborway said:
These locations have a much broader range of products than the traditional stores.

Until a few months ago, the idea of shopping at a Walgreen's with an in-house sushi chef would've seemed like crazy talk.
Click to expand...
 
underground said:
That entire building and the one next to it either need to be majorly reworked or completely knocked down. That street's not a highway underpass anymore.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately Marketplace Center is a cashcow and 3 major retailers have top-tier volume stores there (AE - flagship, GAP, & Banana). Clarendon Properties has little incentive to redevelop the site. I know first hand that the "new" (May 2010 we renovated) AE store is too small and should have two floors. It would be great if the back corner that is currently Aerie was opened up and turned into a grand two-story entry atrium (which would be very prominent on the Greenway). The volume we saw every single day at that store all summer was simply insane and there are only 10 fitting rooms (7 Eagle + 3 Aerie) and 5 registers which causes major problems during peak season. In contrast, Copley Place's location has over 20 fitting rooms including Aerie and they were lucky to do half the volume of us.
 
Oh, I believe it. That's the closest clothes shopping to me, so I'm in that Gap and Banana a few times a year. It's always packed. I bet if you did a hyper micro foot traffic survey in Boston, the walkway between the Market and Christopher Columbus Park would blow any other 20 x 20 foot patch of the city out of the water.

At the very least though, you'd think they'd want to do a little reconfigure to get more windows and doors onto the Greenway. I guess they're starting to, which is good, but it was already a no brainer years ago.
 
Last edited:
Has anyone been to the ice bar on the 3rd floor of Marketplace Center yet? I don't work down there anymore, so I'm never around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top