Saw this in the DMN. I love this store! Cool great finds and buys galore! Would OKC embrace this type of store?








http://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/20110801-hm-will-open-store-at-town-east-mall-in-mesquite.ece

If they are smart, they will open one at Crossroads Mall.

If they are smart, they will open one at Crossroads Mall.

Why would they open in a mall that's on it's death bed

hard to say since I have no idea what H&M is....the people I asked, don't have a clue either.

Of course it would be embraced but I dont see it happening. Maybe if Classen Curve had a better layout. Best bet is some space opening up in Penn Square. However I think this is another retailer that we can file in the "maybe in 5 years" category.

Well that's not surprising to me. Us Oklahomans aren't the most stylish beings on earth... SADLY. Some of us do well though. H&M's provide good style for incredibly cheap prices. And I mean cheap for style. Shop at one of those and when you come back to Penn Square, you'll be pissed at the sad monopoly Oklahoma City calls clothing.

I'd bet money H&M would make a killing off OKC minus a Dallas store. Not everyone here wears raw denim jeans and a tucked in shirt. MAJOR GAG.

hard to say since I have no idea what H&M is....the people I asked, don't have a clue either. It is a European retail store based in Sweden who has incredibly priced fashion. The nice part about it is they are constantly rotating their merchandise so they don't keep anything on their shelves for very long. I would say they really keep up on trends and fashions but at incredible prices! It's become quite popular in America along the likes of another Swedish retailer "IKEA".

It is a European retail store based in Sweden who has incredibly priced fashion. The nice part about it is they are constantly rotating their merchandise so they don't keep anything on their shelves for very long. I would say they really keep up on trends and fashions but at incredible prices! It's become quite popular in America along the likes of another Swedish retailer "IKEA".

...and, compared to the likes of Urban Outfitters, what do you reckon? I've visited an UO in KC and left with way more 'vintage wear' than one should have, but I just had to.

Forever 21 isn't THAT different ftom H&M. I suspect we'll need to have our Urban Outfitters store open before H&M would give us a look.

If they are smart, they will open one at Crossroads Mall.

I now understand what your username refers to: that uber-vicious strain of street crack you smoke multiple times daily. Where can I get a hold of one of those Thunder rocks?

Of course it would be embraced but I dont see it happening. Maybe if Classen Curve had a better layout. Best bet is some space opening up in Penn Square. However I think this is another retailer that we can file in the "maybe in 5 years" category.

Classen Curve is already dead and buried. It will NOT be the locus of hip urbane retailers. It WILL be the locus of stuffy, relocated from elsewhere Nichols Hills retailers that close at 6 p.m.

I hate to say it, but Classen Curve is a colossal failure. Imagine: Utica Square, The Plaza in Kansas City -- and Classen Curve? Wow, what a disappointment this architectural abortion has become.

Without Republic, this place would be even more depressing and empty. Fortunately, Republic gives the people who thrive on remarking to strangers, "Hey, I work for Chesapeake!" an upscale, comfortably edgy place to hang.

...and, compared to the likes of Urban Outfitters, what do you reckon? I've visited an UO in KC and left with way more 'vintage wear' than one should have, but I just had to.

I can honestly admit I don't "get" Urban Outfitters. I simply don't understand why people would pay full retail rate for clothing you can buy at thrift stores (which is actually more authentic).

H&M, however, is fashion forward and very affordably priced. It is a far better version of the GAP (anyone ever buy clothes at the GAP and then bring them home, realizing far too late how terrible you look in them?).

People giving praise to this mysterious company on being extremely affordable and fashionable. So, the perfect location is one of the anchor spaces at Crossroads Mall. If they just move into there, people flock to it, then they are highly likely to shop at the other businesses within the mall. Then we will see more anchors opening. All it take is that one wise company. The bottom line.....Just Do It.

It is a European retail store based in Sweden who has incredibly priced fashion. The nice part about it is they are constantly rotating their merchandise so they don't keep anything on their shelves for very long. I would say they really keep up on trends and fashions but at incredible prices! It's become quite popular in America along the likes of another Swedish retailer "IKEA".
Thanks for the info. Probably not my thing but if you are into wearing the latest trendy fashion (that will most likely be out of fashion by the time you get it home), then it makes since to by it as inexpensively as you can. And so you still have money to go back next week and pick up the next thing they just got in. Don't see why it wouldn't do well here. Okie's do seem to be value for the money. I know I am.

I have been to the H&M in Las Vegas. I believe the closest to OKC is St. Louis. OKC will not see one for years if ever. I don't even think Denver has one. If anything I see us getting an UO, an American Apparel and possibly a Armani Exchange. I have personally emailed UP and AX about putting a location in OKC. Offered some possible locations etc.

I did some major H&M shopping before I left Sweden. Even Swedes wear the stuff, and that is saying something about style. I don't think us Okies are as bad as architect says we are about dressing, but H&M is after UO I think, but I don't think the two are comparable. Everything at UO is majorly overpriced cheap knock offs of vintage, whereas everything at H&M has so far lasted me and I don't feel embarrassed when people find out it came from there. H&M also does a lot of respectable clothes too, I have some formal things from there too.


I now understand what your username refers to: that uber-vicious strain of street crack you smoke multiple times daily. Where can I get a hold of one of those Thunder rocks?

Yes. Post of the day.

I now understand what your username refers to: that uber-vicious strain of street crack you smoke multiple times daily. Where can I get a hold of one of those Thunder rocks?

Interesting how you resort to personal attack when Pete and Triple M clearly announced for this kind of behavior not to be tolerated on here. So, enlighten us.... What are you angry at/about today? Maybe its the extreme heat?

Thunder, it was just a funny joking remark. I laugh along at these kinds of jokes about me all the time.

Classen Curve is already dead and buried. It will NOT be the locus of hip urbane retailers. It WILL be the locus of stuffy, relocated from elsewhere Nichols Hills retailers that close at 6 p.m.

I hate to say it, but Classen Curve is a colossal failure. Imagine: Utica Square, The Plaza in Kansas City -- and Classen Curve? Wow, what a disappointment this architectural abortion has become.

Without Republic, this place would be even more depressing and empty. Fortunately, Republic gives the people who thrive on remarking to strangers, "Hey, I work for Chesapeake!" an upscale, comfortably edgy place to hang.

You do realize they are getting Whole Foods, Anthropologie and other yet to be announced desired retailers don't you?

I'd love an H&M, and es OKC could support one.

H&M would be perfect especially considering what many Oklahomans like to pay for clothing. Twenty bucks can buy you at least one of number of different stylish shirts, for both men and women. Unlike Forever 21, it has a lot more in the men's department and has both trendy and smart casual items. Perhaps Penn Square can push out half the stores in the JcPenney wing out </DREAMS>.

If they are smart, they will open one at Crossroads Mall.

But if it was smart to stay at Crossroads Mall, then Dillard's and other anchor tenants would still be there and if by some miracle, marketing conditions had changed for the much better, they would have already moved back there.

I do think OKC is ready for an up-scale lifestyle center and I think the CHK development is where it is most likely to happen.

If they could just get things worked out with the City of Nichols Hills, this could not only happen soon but I also think it would be extremely successful.

So what exactly is a "life style center"? How does it differ from an enclosed mall, a strip mall or an open air race-track mall (OKC Outlet)

A true lifestyle center contains housing and businesses as well as retail. A renovated Nichols Hills Plaza was planned as a lifestyle center. They were going to put a third floor for housing. Some of the more vocal residents of Nichols Hills put the kibosh on that unfortunately. I saw some of the plans and it looked really nice. The really high end ones are not that common. Actually, many of the lifestyle centers I've seen are fairly tacky, with a Starbucks, Home Depot or Lowes, a few nail salons and some scattered, fairly uninteresting retail. The Domain in Austin is an exception

Larry, generally speaking a lifestyle center combines up-scale shopping (almost always open-air) with leisure elements like ponds, skating rinks, tons of open spaces, water features, etc. The better examples generally have tons of architectural details, many sidewalk cafes and the like. The general idea is to create a place where people just want to hang out, kind of like an artificial town square.

The Plaza in Kansas City is an old-school example but the new trend was probably started (or at least perfected) by The Grove in Los Angeles.

You usually have a department store or two as anchors, but often have a big theater, lots of real restaurants (as opposed to fast food) and only the nicer stores you see in traditional malls.

http://you-are-here.com/location/the_grove.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZgpQ6MVSKu4/S9xGdywLH2I/AAAAAAAAAFA/M37f4R8SN0U/s1600/1817_main_image_2.jpg

Thanks for the info...so sort of a 'town square" type thing ... from the pics looks a bit like the one in Back to the Future films...LOL

or even a Lower Bricktown (with the theater, canal/water feature plaza, restaurants...)?

Yeah, most are built to look like some sort of town -- a Disney version anyway.

They also are usually heavy on entertainment; live music, street performers... Often integrate a farmer's market or similar.

OKC really doesn't have anything like this, although I think something similar was once proposed for north of QS Mall. I think the 63rd & Western area is prefect and I'm sure that's what CHK has in mind.

There have been a dozen lifestyle centers proposed across the metro. Many of them built up a ton of public excitement and then disappointed, such as Tuscana. Others managed to rip off the public while there was excitement by getting a TIF and then building utter crap, such as UNP in Norman. That one is practically a scandal.

OKC developers don't do lifestyle centers. Now one is proposed in Moore, so we will see how that turns out. I hope it happens, but I just don't see Moore being the place that lures UO, H&M, et al. That lifestyle center will have to be smallish and focus on more middle-of-the-road tenants.

Lower Bricktown was supposed to be lifestyle center as well, and Hogan referenced The Grove as inspiration.

To do these things right, you have to go all-in.

Rick Caruso -- The Grove developer -- has done a few more of these things since and a couple haven't done very well because they weren't big enough to create critical mass. You can't just have a few of the elements... You have to go big and create space that is elaborate and unique with plenty of big retail and nice restaurants. Then you have to program all the entertainment and add other attractions.

Otherwise, you just end up with another lame strip center with a little nicer architecture.

Actually, many of the lifestyle centers I've seen are fairly tacky, with a Starbucks, Home Depot or Lowes, a few nail salons and some scattered, fairly uninteresting retail. The Domain in Austin is an exception
The Domain has its tacky-ness...but then they may come from having to go to work there everyday. Nothing like having an office in a shopping mall........

I have been to the H&M in Las Vegas. I believe the closest to OKC is St. Louis. OKC will not see one for years if ever. I don't even think Denver has one. If anything I see us getting an UO, an American Apparel and possibly a Armani Exchange. I have personally emailed UP and AX about putting a location in OKC. Offered some possible locations etc.

Denver is currently building one....downtown!

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_17840042

I have been to the H&M in Las Vegas. I believe the closest to OKC is St. Louis. OKC will not see one for years if ever. I don't even think Denver has one. If anything I see us getting an UO, an American Apparel and possibly a Armani Exchange. I have personally emailed UP and AX about putting a location in OKC. Offered some possible locations etc.

Denver just opened, or is about to open their first, so I'd agree

I do think OKC is ready for an up-scale lifestyle center and I think the CHK development is where it is most likely to happen.

If they could just get things worked out with the City of Nichols Hills, this could not only happen soon but I also think it would be extremely successful.

Unfortunately, the "master plan" for Cheseapeake City is a sprawling mess that follows the pattern of strip malls, not a lifestyle center. Parking lots, and a hip-looking strip mall. Not really any room for a lifestyle center.

I moved a bunch of posts about NH Plaza to a new thread by that title in the Suburban Development forum:

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=26757

Denver just opened, or is about to open their first, so I'd agree

Yep. It took the spot downtown where Niketown was.

http://newsok.com/questions-and-answers-with-alison-oshel/article/3591724

How about Restoration Hardware? That's the only chain left that I really, really wish were here. Jonathan Adler's stores are fun, as are West Elm's too. CB2 would be nice, but I won't die if we don't get one. But I've bought more stuff from Restoration Hardware than almost any other mail order store. Sigh. Maybe the one in Tulsa isn't doing well. Or maybe Aubrey's being super secretive about what is going next to Anthropologie.

Yep. It took the spot downtown where Niketown was.

Is there no longer a Niketown in Denver or did they move?

Is there no longer a Niketown in Denver or did they move?

No more Niketown. I saw where they are now going to open another H&M in Denver at Cherry Creek Mall (about 2 miles from downtown). Saks closed earlier this year and it likely will go there.

According to the interview Steve posted, H&M has indeed shown some interest.

It also referenced the 'benevolence' of Aubrey McClendon, which I took to meet that CHK is providing financial incentives to land retailers like WF and Anthropologie.

According to the interview Steve posted, H&M has indeed shown some interest.

It also referenced the 'benevolence' of Aubrey McClendon, which I took to meet that CHK is providing financial incentives to land retailers like WF and Anthropologie.

Ding, ding, ding

Ring-a-ling-a-ling!

According to the interview Steve posted, H&M has indeed shown some interest.

It also referenced the 'benevolence' of Aubrey McClendon, which I took to meet that CHK is providing financial incentives to land retailers like WF and Anthropologie.

But doesn't that at least reinforce the perception that OKC doesn't have the demographics these companies desire without being subsidized in this manner? Even if wildly successful (as the Outlet appears to be), doesn't it set the precedent for the next business that sees it and expects the same?

But doesn't that at least reinforce the perception that OKC doesn't have the demographics these companies desire without being subsidized in this manner? Even if wildly successful (as the Outlet appears to be), doesn't it set the precedent for the next business that sees it and expects the same?

I see it more as setting a precedence for other retailers to see that the ones opening here now can be successful which will, in itself, make us more attractive with or without incentives.

I'm not saying your wrong, but you don't think they aren't going to insist on the same treatment the other guys got?

I can't think of a single store or restaurant that I want so badly that I would pay them millions of dollars (or whatever the "incentives" amount to), just so I could patronize them. Now if the money comes from an individual or even a company (as in Chesapeakes case) that is one thing, but certainly not taxpayer dollars. The only justicification for that is when it turns into a guaranteed ROI (such as the Outlet mall, where the money is going to the developers and not the stores in it). With Bass Pro a bad example.

Lar, I think the Outlet Mall will prove to be a good investment! If only they could have an outlet/lifestyle center where Bass Pro is. That would have been a spark that would have caused a massive fire for Bricktown development. Residential, hotels, and restaurants would be everywhere! It would be like my favorite development Country Club Plaza in KC on steroids! What 20 something college grad would not want to live there!

Sorry I got a little off track. I believe the Outlet Mall incentives will prove to be paid back to the city as it attracts more development and sales tax.

Every market has an entity that will provide some sort of incentive to lure new retailers, I know The Domain here in Austin has a rather large incentive package behind it by the City of Austin. We have to fill out an employment form every quarter to be submitted to the city to make sure the incentives keep coming for Simon/Endeavor.

Also in Steve's interview, it said that there is now tons of interest from other grocers. That only happened after the WF announcement.

Sunflower Market will be open in a few weeks and I seriously doubt they got any incentives.

Also in Steve's interview, it said that there is now tons of interest from other grocers. That only happened after the WF announcement.

Sunflower Market will be open in a few weeks and I seriously doubt they got any incentives.

That was my point, Pete. Even if we have to offer incentives to some businesses. If others see that they are successful and think they can make money, they will come without incentives.

I am not in total disagreement. For example if it took incentives to get Wal-mart to locate in a particular location, as we have seen numerous times, all sorts of development springs up where ever Wal-mart goes. And probably without incentives to do it. Or as with the case with Sunflowers following Whole Foods, it may be a case of if WF think it is a good place, then it must be. Not uncommon for the various fast-food places to wait until a McDonald's goes in. Or a Walgreens/CVC battling corners. But what I am saying if it becomes public knowledge that the only reason Whole Foods came here was because of the incentives (when the demographics WF looks at have said that we can't support it without the incentive). In other words, would Whole Foods have come without the incentives or did their demographics say it wouldn't work? Then that leads to a false assumption by the others that see Whole Foods going in and thinking "see, they think it will work, so it must be good". A couple of things, Whole Foods hasn't even opened yet so to say other's are seeing that "they are successful" doesn't make any sense. Sunflower isn't opening up in a Chesapeake owned property are they? If they were then they would probably expect the same incentive that the other retailers got, wouldn't they? If those incentives were to come from the City (as the ULI folks said would be required to get any of those big name retailers DT), wouldn't others expect those same incentives? Why haven't we seen the explosion of retail in Bricktown? The incentive's given to Bass Pro were to lead to all of that, weren't they?

Sunflower isn't opening up in a Chesapeake owned property are they? If they were then they would probably expect the same incentive that the other retailers got, wouldn't they? If those incentives were to come from the City (as the ULI folks said would be required to get any of those big name retailers DT), wouldn't others expect those same incentives? Why haven't we seen the explosion of retail in Bricktown? The incentive's given to Bass Pro were to lead to all of that, weren't they?

Larry, I don't see the relevance with Sunflower. You're making an assumption about something that doesn't apply. They decided to locate here without incentives and that doesn't have anything to do with where they located.
And you have valid points about Bass Pro. I never thought that it would attract large amounts of retail to that area. I think it is still a good attraction though for other businesses in the area. Are there other things that would have been better? Sure. But it's far from a negative for the area.

I agree. Sunflower doesn't appear to be an apples-to apples thing (I think that was the point I was trying to get to...LOL)

I am not that sure that Bass Pro is that much of a positive. Along with the retail explosion that failed to materialize (would have been an excellent area for the Outlet Mall), the last report I read (admittedly a few years ago), showed they weren't meeting the projections (by millions) the City based the deal on. Of course C.M. Couch dismissed it, pointing to the other development that had happened in the area. But did that development have anything to do with Bass Pro or was it the Canal?

I guess we have probably contributed to the derailing of the thread enough (surprised we haven't been reminded of that by a certain contributor. So in that spirit...
:backtotop

There have been a dozen lifestyle centers proposed across the metro. Many of them built up a ton of public excitement and then disappointed, such as Tuscana. Others managed to rip off the public while there was excitement by getting a TIF and then building utter crap, such as UNP in Norman. That one is practically a scandal.

OKC developers don't do lifestyle centers. Now one is proposed in Moore, so we will see how that turns out. I hope it happens, but I just don't see Moore being the place that lures UO, H&M, et al. That lifestyle center will have to be smallish and focus on more middle-of-the-road tenants.

For it to work there it will need to be anchored by something like Mardel's.

Soonerguru may have something there. A "Christian" lifestyle center may be the way to go in a predominately conservative, Bible-belt region. A concentration of Chick-fil-A/Mardel's/Hobby Lobby and others with strong faith-based ties.

Soonerguru may have something there. A "Christian" lifestyle center may be the way to go in a predominately conservative, Bible-belt region. A concentration of Chick-fil-A/Mardel's/Hobby Lobby and others with strong faith-based ties.

Are you serious or did I happen to miss your sarcasm?

No sarcasm intended. i say go for it.

Is there no longer a Niketown in Denver or did they move?

Nope. No longer in Denver.