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Retail - what is thriving in your area?

Sal

Veteran

I just went into our CBD which has been struggling recently, and took a look with fresh eyes and noticed some areas seem to be growing (more retailers appearing) and others struggling (closing down, looking less enticing). This is my opinion, based on what I see, so it has some judgement calls and I do not know the true financials of course. This is based on high street/rather than Strip Mall or Indoor Mall shops:

Thriving:
- Upmarket barber shops (male hairdressers)
- Specialist games shops
- Tailors/alteration shops
- Cafes
- Tattooists
- Nail bars and express beauticians (brows, waxing etc)

Struggling:
- Specialist shoe stores (couple have closed recently)
- Childrens clothing retailers
- Gourmet food retailers

Independent book stores and independent boutiques are holding their own, as are florists.

What is happening in your hometown?

Shopping

19 replies

Latest reply was from Dottie

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Thriving:
Hairstylists - every other storefront they are always full
Beauty salons - almost as many (mani/pedi/facials etc.)
Nut and spice shops - who knew one town could support so many
Bakeries - ditto
Housewares

Struggling
Little specialty fashion shops featuring overpriced imports

JAileen

Veteran

In our downtown we have seedy casinos, liquor stores, and tattoo parlors. We also have a really nice indy bookstore, and quite a few good restaurants. We were hit very hard during the recession, but we have more or less recovered, and now Tesla is building a big operation in the industrial park, and they're expecting a lot of growth. I was just downtown today. I went to the bookstore and the Patagonia outlet which recently moved from the outskirts of town. There is also a new hair/beard shop for hipster guys.

cindysmith

Veteran

I live in the country fried middle of nowhere, so my perceptions are a bit skewed LOL

In our very small town, our local hardware/feed/farm supply store is thriving (how they've kept Lowes out of town is beyond me, but good for them!). The closest decent sized towns have a very limited selection of the usual suspects for retail, and there seems to be a growing number of them (Kohl's, JCPenney, a not-so-great tjmaxx, etc). In the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, it seems the upscale and higher end is where I'm seeing the most happening.

I'm also seeing some thriving "local" based business, like bakeries and produce stands and other things that appeal to the millennials and hipsters and environmental types (at least in the areas between me and the metroplex).

Anonymous

Thriving locally are day spas, brew pubs, any shop that caters to pet owners, and local cafes. In trouble are restaurants with white table cloths, specialty clothing shops in high rent areas, specialty food stores ( like olive oil)

Carla

Veteran

I was so excited to see a long lineup at the bookstore when I was shopping at the big mall in the Big City! It was the busiest place.

Ditto your list, Sally, for Toronto. Especially proper men's barbers. In my little town of Port Hope (17,000) there are no franchises in the downtown. There are:

4 thriving coffee/pasty shops
2 yoga studios
6 or more gastro pubs featuring craft brew
6 home furnishings/decor shops
The independent shoe store is doing very well (it has amazing stuff and specializes in fashionable comfort wear)

small women's boutiques that carried good quality but uninteresting clothing are struggling (3 have closed and 2 have merged into a smaller shop in the past 2 years)

Style Fan

Veteran

The small town where I live is a tourist destination in the summer. The streets are extremely busy from May to October. And then we go back to normal.
On the main street there are:
Several spas offering facials, pedicures, manicures, etc.
Many hair salons
Coffee Shops
Restaurants of all types. This is changed since we moved here. There are now Mexican, an improved Thia and an improved Chinese.
A shoe store with reasonable selection of quality footwear
Natural Food Store with an awesome Deli serving vegetarian food. This is always busy. We eat here a lot and run into people we know.
Gluten Free Pasta Shop
Two or Three clothing stores.
A toy store.
Kitchen Store
Make your own wine store.
Antique store.

We use to have a fantastic Yoga Studio that is now homeless and is operating out of 2 locations temporarily.

It seems spas, hair salons and eating establishments are the most common retail operation. Makes sense because those are things that can not be ordered online.

I am surprised that all the spas have stayed in business but they seem to be doing okay. It is more expensive to have a pedicure there than in Toronto or Hamilton.

Anonymous

I want to answer this question, but for some reason, my brain is completely blank. Just a blank slate. But now you have me thinking about it and I fully intend to look around me this weekend and take note of what I see.

(I can tell you what is NOT thriving here: tailors/alterations specialists).

Jaime

I am blank too Sterling! But there is one thing that I don't need to think about -craft breweries are HUGE. Much to my huband's delight

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I agree with Style Fan's analysis -- for the most part, what's thriving is whatever you cannot get online.

So, services are by and large doing well. Restaurants, hairdressers, bakeries, spas, coffee shops.

We have a thriving local bookstore that outlasted the chains! (They eventually packed up and went out of town -- seriously!) But this must be put into context; 20 years ago we had five thriving independent stores! Now there is this one, and 2 used book stores. (We are a university town).

There are clothing stores catering to 20-somethings, as a result, mostly chain (Gap, Urban Outfitters), but also a rotating range of boutiques. There are computer stores, and computer fix-it places.

A great sports/ outdoor store. A furniture store. A shoe store for mainly comfort brands and one for mainly fashion brands. A games store that holds a popular board game night. A knitting store.

All in all, the downtown is doing pretty well, despite constant store turnover of a few of the shops. There are even a few boutiques for clothing but alas, they do not cater to my size, age group, or style.

Tisa

Interesting question.

Thriving:
- Hairstylists
- Beauty salons
- Cafes
- Restaurants
- Bakeries (especially those that stay open into the evening)

Struggling:
- Independent shoe shops

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Thriving in the very small lake town area:

Day Spas/Salons
Gas stations with full stores and food options
Boat and recreational rentals
Mexican Food Restaurants
Pet Supply Stores
Hardware Stores
Homestyle Food Restaurants (think "chicken fried steak")
Car Part stores and repair shops
Small Resale and Antique Type Shops

No one really seems to be struggling much as there is more demand than most can handle.

Sara L.

Veteran

I'm like Jaime and Sterling - I'm blank but that's probably because I don't get out to shop much. However, also like Jaime, craft breweries are HUGE here. There's also a couple local distilleries that recently opened. I went on a tour of one a couple months ago and it was fascinating.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thriving: REAL ESTATE. The city is booming and cannot house all who want to live here. Buying property in Seattle is blood sport.

kkards

Veteran

thriving...coffee, coffee and more coffee! actually my small city is in the midst of a restaurant revolution/ evolution, so many new places thriving, but older places dying...

there are a ton of nail salons, but not sure I'd say this is thriving... I think we are on the tipping point of having too many that it is holding the prices low (great for customers), but making it difficult for the owners and staff to make an adequate living

again, my small city was/is late to the national retail scene, and we are just now seeing nordstroms rack, off 5th open here....they seem to be thriving....but

small independent boutiques....its hit or miss. some great ones with a long history, with a few new ones, primarily owned by young Asian women opening in the last year...

Sal

Veteran

Thanks all for your input, there are some common threads...food, nails, beauty, hair.... not things you can easily purchase online.

Yes brew bars are popping up here too, Craft Beer has been popular for a wee while and seems to be maintaining this.

And real estate agencies, we have been in a boom and so there is an excess of realtors/agents.

Book stores are an interesting one - the larger chain book stores here do not seem to be doing well - competing against The Book Depository and Amazon and e-books has been hard for them. But the independent stores are doing okay....

For some reason NZ has been a super early adopter of the cafe culture and it is easy to find great coffee here (espresso, flat white, latte etc) and all the options now (chai latte, almond milk, turmeric latte, cold drip). It is definitely a highlight of visiting NZ!!

rachylou

Veteran

Well, we're getting a new Ross discount clothing store. Which says a lot to me... there's already two within reasonable distance. Trader Joe's, which I think of as an almost grocery, is booming, while actual groceries are not (consolidation). Bakery coffee shops seem to clipping along, but already existing ones - nothing new. Hardware stores seem active, but a furniture store is closing and another did a kind of personality make-over. Clothing stores of all kinds, I feel they're all struggling a bit to bring excitement. Except for Ross and DSW (oh and Marshall's).

always trying

Veteran

In my area thriving -Starbucks, Marshalls, most restaurants, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, craft beer -

the big new outlet mall is looking dismal to me.

Anonymous

Our neighborhood shopping area has a lot of the same trends y'all are mentioning - increase in grooming businesses and also exercise, massage and acupuncture. The grooming places are highly specialized - one for blowouts, another for brows, another for lashes, etc.
A number of our old-time businesses are still present - independent drug store with compounding pharmacy, vacuum repair, cobbler, tailor, etc. An old-line independent shoe store and an established toy store. The lingerie shop closed a couple of years ago.
Speciality food is big - fishmonger, cheese shop, wine shop, specialty grocer, bakeries.
2 upscale pet store and 2 vets.
Our large independent bookstores closed when B&N came in
Independent clothing stores don't last long. The few chains that come in have stayed Athleta, Chicos, WHBM.
Large number of local restaurants - from coffee shop to fine dining.
There is also a McDonald's - it does't seem to have nearly the traffic it did a decade ago.

Dottie

We are in one of the fastest growing cities in South Carolina and it seems like everything is booming here. The parking lot at the outdoor mall is always packed (Ulta, BR, Gap, Ann Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath Beyond, etc), restaurants, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's. Craft beer is big here too. I wonder if it's here to stay or just a passing trend? We're getting a Costco soon, too!