New stores in store for OKC

[betts]

National retailers are back in town, looking for space for new stores, but Price Edwards & Co. says landlords should act fast: When sexier markets like Austin and Las Vegas, and most of California and Florida, get their groove back, Oklahoma City will lose the competitive advantage it now enjoys.

BY RICHARD MIZE

National retail prospects, scarce since the 2008 economic crash, are back in Oklahoma City scouting for new stores. That's the take-away from Price Edward & Co.'s year-end retail property summary, which is brimming with cautious optimism.

Dick's Sporting Goods, Anthropologie, The Container Store, California Pizza Kitchen and LA Fitness are among the national names “that want to be here and are actively looking for sites,” the firm said in the report by Senior Vice President Jim Parrack, retail investment broker Paul Ravencraft and brokers Karleen Krywucki, Brandy Rundel, Susan Brinkley, Ev Ernst, Laci Jackson and Lee Chancellor.

Loosening hold
Walmart's stranglehold on groceries — the giant has cornered almost 60 percent of the market — is loosening. Whole Foods Market, to open on Classen Boulevard, and a new Crest Foods, 10601 S May Ave., started it; Sprouts and Fresh Market are now eying Oklahoma City, the firm said.



Read more: http://newsok.com/new-stores-in-stor...#ixzz18vforaqN

[Spartan]

Walmart's strangle hold weakening is by far the best news in the entire article, which contains lots of very positive tidbits, but none more positive than Walmart's stranglehold weakening. Residents' going elsewhere with their money is an incredibly positive sign.

[dismayed]

I wonder if the guys in charge of the giant "upscale" development in Norman along I-35 who continue to say they can't attract new businesses because of the down economy are aware of the above.... When I hear things like that but then read articles like the above, so wildly contradicting each other, I have to wonder if reality is somewhere in between.

[Spartan]

I would almost rather nice things not even go there anymore. In reality, that's going to be a horrible development. Academy, Discount Tire, and all the other upscale retailers in there..

[kbsooner]

Walmart's strangle hold weakening is by far the best news in the entire article, which contains lots of very positive tidbits, but none more positive than Walmart's stranglehold weakening. Residents' going elsewhere with their money is an incredibly positive sign.

Spartan,

I feel I need to respond to the anti Walmart comments to let you know there are some positives to their growth. I deal with WM on the construction end daily, and their current expansion plans include taking over a large amount of existing structures and renovating them into smaller WMs, Neighborhood Markets and the new Marketside concept. In fact I would say last year and the current year we will do more renovation projects for WM than new ground up sites by a fairly large margin. We are hitting the coasts hard, where there is a glut of existing retail structures that have sat vacant for many years in 70-80's era strip malls and a surprising amount in urban cores. Once we complete these projects, the strip center or development is typically revitalized with new locally owned stores and growth in the surrounding area that would not have happened without it. I have worked on numerous projects that from the start looked like a bulldozer and a wrecking ball were the better option, but have turned out to be great examples of adaptive reuse of an existing structure. I will agree that WM has its drawbacks on the business side that have been discussed ad naseum on this site, but they do have some positives that need to be highlighted that may not be well known, specifically to those who believe in preservation and moving business back into urban areas in lieu of the 'burbs. Don't get me wrong, I am all for variety of choices as far as grocery, and have personally have switch to Crest from WM to support a local company. Just wanted to point out not everything thing they do is pure evil.

[Architect2010]

How many times has WM renovated an existing and underutilized structure in OKC for a store of their own vs. a new build? Off of the top of my head on the southside I remember their build at 240 & Penn. I remember them constructing the new one at 240 & Santa Fe. They built two brand-new Neighborhood Markets at 44th & Western and at 59th & Penn. This was all within the last decade or close to it. Sure Wal-mart isn't pure evil, but they aren't near the company that I want to have the dominant market control over OKC.

[kbsooner]

How many times has WM renovated an existing and underutilized structure in OKC for a store of their own vs. a new build? Off of the top of my head on the southside I remember their build at 240 & Penn. I remember them constructing the new one at 240 & Santa Fe. They built two brand-new Neighborhood Markets at 44th & Western and at 59th & Penn. This was all within the last decade or close to it. Sure Wal-mart isn't pure evil, but they aren't near the company that I want to have the dominant market control over OKC.

This has been a definite shift in philosophy in the past few years. It definitely was not their focus when the sites you noted were construted.

[Spartan]

Spartan,

I feel I need to respond to the anti Walmart comments to let you know there are some positives to their growth. I deal with WM on the construction end daily, and their current expansion plans include taking over a large amount of existing structures and renovating them into smaller WMs, Neighborhood Markets and the new Marketside concept. In fact I would say last year and the current year we will do more renovation projects for WM than new ground up sites by a fairly large margin. We are hitting the coasts hard, where there is a glut of existing retail structures that have sat vacant for many years in 70-80's era strip malls and a surprising amount in urban cores. Once we complete these projects, the strip center or development is typically revitalized with new locally owned stores and growth in the surrounding area that would not have happened without it. I have worked on numerous projects that from the start looked like a bulldozer and a wrecking ball were the better option, but have turned out to be great examples of adaptive reuse of an existing structure. I will agree that WM has its drawbacks on the business side that have been discussed ad naseum on this site, but they do have some positives that need to be highlighted that may not be well known, specifically to those who believe in preservation and moving business back into urban areas in lieu of the 'burbs. Don't get me wrong, I am all for variety of choices as far as grocery, and have personally have switch to Crest from WM to support a local company. Just wanted to point out not everything thing they do is pure evil.

Actually, I hardly dislike Walmart, especially from an urban planning basis. It's not like Crest is any more urban, so I'm not unrealistic. I admire Walmart as an extremely well-ran company, and the problem is just that. OKC has had difficulty attracting other retailers and getting interest from developers just because of the sheer dominance of Walmart in this city. When they own over half of a market with 1.3 million in the metro, that's insane. Nothing against WM, we just need diversity. If it were another company that had dominant control and was preventing competition from coming in, I'd blast that company, too. That's all it is, really.

I do wish they try some of their nicer stores here though, rather than in Texas and everywhere else. Their stores in OKC, for the most part, kind of suck. The one in Edmond is nice, I think that's it.

[G.Walker]

California Pizza Kitchen would do well in Bricktown or Penn Sq. area, I could see an LA fitness doing well in Quail Springs area, good to see national chains interested in Okc, that's a good sign of more retailers to come!

[Soonerman]

I think Dick's Sporting Goods would do real well in the Quail area as the closest sporting goods store to that area is Academy in Edmond.

[adaniel]

Fantastic news that Sprouts and Container Store are eying OKC. Don't know if anyone has ever been to Sprouts, but IMO it blows Whole Foods out the water. Fantastic selections of meats. I always make a trip when I go see my parents in Plano.

I expressed in an earlier thread that I was worried this area's low income stats have harmed OKC in recruiting retailers, but hopefully I'm wrong. None of those stores listed are particularly cheap.

[Architect2010]

This has been a definite shift in philosophy in the past few years. It definitely was not their focus when the sites you noted were construted.

I know this. I'm asking how many times has this new approach towards new stores has been done in OKC. I referenced the recent southside construction because it hasn't been executed here yet and I'm not really sure where they would do this. Walmart has brand-new facilities all over the metro.

[Spartan]

Fantastic news that Sprouts and Container Store are eying OKC. Don't know if anyone has ever been to Sprouts, but IMO it blows Whole Foods out the water. Fantastic selections of meats. I always make a trip when I go see my parents in Plano.

I expressed in an earlier thread that I was worried this area's low income stats have harmed OKC in recruiting retailers, but hopefully I'm wrong. None of those stores listed are particularly cheap.

Would that be a possible grocer to make a move on, to get them downtown?



And not on I-240 or 63rd/May...

[soonerguru]

Wal-Mart is actually making some laudable changes. I still avoid them like the plague, however. That said, if they continue to improve their business practices I might become an occasional shopper.

[betts]

Was just told by my daughter today that OKC has the "green light" from Anthropologie, which confirms the above. I guess they're looking for the perfect location now. I'm still hoping for a freestanding store built by Aubrey in the Curve area and that a Free People and/or Urban Outfitters comes along for the ride.

[MikeOKC]

I already posted the same thing in another thread where Dick's Sporting Goods came up thinking it was this thread. Dick's was announced as a major tenant for the lifestyle center that had been planned for south of Memorial near Quail Springs. So, they've been wanting to be here for some time. Also the Ballenger's location will be coming open at 63rd and May and that whole area has seen lots of development and interest from national retailers. In fact, as I wrote in the other thread, I was told that Chic-fil-A had one of their biggest store openings in their history. It is a very nice store and maybe the nicest "fast food" place I've ever seen. Hope Dave & Busters does as well down the street.

[adaniel]

Would that be a possible grocer to make a move on, to get them downtown?



And not on I-240 or 63rd/May...

A more likely candidate than Whole Foods but it would still be a stretch for downtown. The Sprouts in Plano was put in an old Kroger but took up only 60 percent of the former store. Its on Legacy Drive and Coit Road; I don't know if you are familiar with that area, but that's an extremely busy intersection. To give you an idea of the demographics, most of the neighborhoods in that area are 250K homes and above.

I can't see it being along 63rd because that's way too close to the new Whole Foods. OTOH they could do well maybe a little south of there. Maybe along 36th/Western area? Something tells me they will probably go to Far North OKC/Edmond though.

[Larry OKC]

How many times has WM renovated an existing and underutilized structure in OKC for a store of their own vs. a new build? Off of the top of my head on the southside I remember their build at 240 & Penn. I remember them constructing the new one at 240 & Santa Fe. They built two brand-new Neighborhood Markets at 44th & Western and at 59th & Penn. This was all within the last decade or close to it. Sure Wal-mart isn't pure evil, but they aren't near the company that I want to have the dominant market control over OKC.

Off the top of my head, Wal-Mart turned one of their old Wal-Marts (after it has relocated to I-40) into a neighborhood market their on NW 23rd & MacArthur.

[calitook]

Was just told by my daughter today that OKC has the "green light" from Anthropologie, which confirms the above. I guess they're looking for the perfect location now. I'm still hoping for a freestanding store built by Aubrey in the Curve area and that a Free People and/or Urban Outfitters comes along for the ride.

Oh great. I will have to get a second job there, as I spend enough money at that store without there being one in the area!!

[Rover]

I don't think downtown would be the logical destination for these grocery stores. Best bet would be for a company like Crest that has local ties to put in an expanded boutique store which could be flexible in it's offering to react to the demographics of downtowners. It Should be about the size of a WM Neighborhood Mkt. Trouble is our local people don't seem to want to take the risk. We need local business leadership at the more grass roots level. Devon can't be everything for OKC.

[poe]

I've never been to a Sprouts, but it seems very similar to Sun Harvest Farmer's Market. A Sun Harvest store recently opened in Lubbock and it wasn't too shabby. Perhaps OKC could support a Sun Harvest.

[edcrunk]

I hope the California Pizza Kitchen goes in around the mall or by Nichols Hills... like on western.

[OUman]

The Wal-Mart on the east side in Norman is a pathetic joke. Half the time the produce looks shabby (and is), there are very limited options on organic foods/snacks, and half the time things you really want are either not there at all, or they have run out. It almost seems like they treat the east side of Norman differently on purpose, go to the west side Wal-Mart and you'll find a whole plethora of options, Kashi cereals are in plentiful with many options, the produce is definitely better than the east side's (and actually tastes better also) and there are many more options in terms of snacks than in the other Wal-Mart. You get much better produce in the east side Homeland and we have made it a point to avoid using the east-side WM in the future.

I sincerely hope Norman will do a better job in terms of groceries and take advantage of the retailers looking at the metro market, because Wal-Mart just sucks. At least the east side one does. I haven't seen the great improvement there at all.

[Lauri101]

The Container Store is one of my favorite places! My son-in-law works in the head office and has stated several times that the OKC market is a "promising" one.
They like to locate their stores where there is some synergy with other stores, so they have plenty of choices. MWC's Town Center would be an ideal place.

[scootinger]

I'd agree that it would not make much sense for an upscale grocery like Whole Foods or Sprouts to locate downtown at this point. While many of the folks living downtown (and some nearby in midtown too) would probably shop at such a store, the thing is that there aren't many of them right now. These companies want to locate in an area with good access to an affluent customer base. They are present in much greater numbers in areas like Edmond, Nichols Hills, far south OKC, and Moore/Norman; I would imagine that many of them aren't too keen about trekking all the way downtown to go grocery shopping. And I'm not sure how urban your idea of a grocery store downtown is, but I would think that many in OKC might see something that's downtown and doesn't have a parking lot right in front of it as being too big of a hassle as well.

A better solution would probably be to have a company like Crest, Homeland, or even Walmart build an urban store. These companies don't have the entire OKC market at stake over one or two stores, and they could also appeal to people in less affluent parts of the surrounding area who may not have very good access to grocery stores.