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Archive for the ‘store openings’ Category
Arrow, the hotly anticipated North Loop boutique from Intoto alums Michael Basham and Sarah Dwyer opened briefly on Valentine’s Day for a VIP preview. The store officially opens Feb. 23, although you may catch the lights on here and there until then.
Former Intoto shoppers seemed relieved/giddy at the array of casual luxury apparel–slouchy sweaters, chic blouses, understated–but clearly high-end–accessories from fashion forward (they call it “directional”) brands. Several more spring collections are expected to arrive in the next few weeks. This opening elevates the growing retail scene in the North Loop tremendously. 121 N. First St., Minneapolis
Tags: arrow, Intoto, michael basham, minneapolis shopping, North Loop, sarah dwyer
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Stillwater has had a rash of retail changes lately. I have to be honest, I was underwhelmed on a recent visit to Main Street, but I’m holding out hope that by springtime, there will be renewed excitement in this charming riverfront downtown–one of my favorite day trips in the Twin Cities.
Forget Me Not, selling fresh flowers and home accents, is now open in the former Doozie space. 402 Main St. S., 651-430-8113
Rose Mille has moved into a smaller spot in the Grand Garage. It has charm, but lacks the wow factor of the old location…and has a much more edited assortment focused on paper goods, ribbon and the like. This could be a temporary arrangement–an employee told me Rose Mille is considering a second location for DIY classes. 324 Main St. S., 651-439-0205
Also in the Grand Garage, is Grace James Boutique, selling contemporary women’s fashion, from denim to dresses. I liked some of the pieces–and prices–I saw, but wanted more. We’ll chalk that up to being between seasons. I’ll definitely be checking back–both for Grace James, and another new store opening this spring with fashion aimed at women over 40. 324 Main St. S., Stillwater, 651.430.8000
Venture up the hill to Karma Clothing Co. This trendy consignment store has a new owner, and looks better than ever. Find designer pieces, contemporary fashion, accessories and even some new gifts from local brands. 126 Second St. S., Stillwater, 651-342-1004
Tags: forget me not, grace james boutique, karma clothing co., rose mille, stillwater, stillwater shopping
Posted in store openings, Twin Cities retail | 1 Comment »
The Galleria has signed a deal with a local salon to replace Rocco Altobelli. Lili Salon Spa will offer cuts, color, nail and waxing services and skin care. It’s a niche the Edina center could not go without, especially for guests at the adjacent Westin Hotel.
Lili will open in late spring in a 5,000 square foot space. That’s smaller than the Rocco salon, which Galleria vice president and general manager Jill Noack says has not yet been leased. The Rocco nail salon on the lower level is also up for grabs. (Meanwhile, Rocco is opening a new salon/spa a block away.)
Galleria will be the third location for William & Friends, whose salons include Lili Salon Spa/Minnetonka and Tonic Barbers, opening soon in Minnetonka.
The announcement comes amid a flurry of changes at the usually stable center. Schmitt Music, Que Sera and Pea in the Pod are leaving, while Ohio-based furniture chain Arhaus and national shoe retailer Marmi are coming in. Several current retailers are moving within the mall.
“This is unusual,” Noack says. “We just had several things come to a head. So much planning always goes into this. I first talked to Marmi 10 years ago.”
Noack is known to be extremely choosy about Galleria’s tenants and has a long track record of making decisions that add to the center’s appeal.
Marmi, she says, hits a lower price point than designer shoe store Pumpz & Co., and complements the dugo and Chico’s customer. “You can never have enough women’s footwear, and we were light there.”
The Galleria was not light on furniture, with Gabberts, Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn, but Noack believes the popular Arhaus rounds out the mix. No doubt, there’s also a defensive element to the move. “There’s the old adage, you either fight ‘em or join ‘em,” Noack says. “If they’re going to be in Edina on France Avenue, I’d rather have them all under my roof so the customer doesn’t need to go anywhere else.”
All the shuffling still leaves Galleria with a few holes to fill—notably, the large Smith & Hawken space in the center of the mall. Rest assured, Noack has candidates in mind, and in talks. More options for the 25 to 34-year-old customer who shops at BCBG is a priority for Noack. “We don’t want her waiting until she’s her mother’s age to shop at Galleria.”
Tags: Galleria, Galleria changes, Galleria salon spa, Lili Salon Spa, rocco altobelli, twin cities salons
Posted in Beauty, store openings, Twin Cities retail | No Comments »
Jonathan Adler is currently hiring an assistant manager and sales associates for a Minneapolis store listed on the company website as “coming soon.” Two local retail authorities have told me that Jonathan Adler plans to open a store in Uptown, near Lake and Hennepin. A company spokeswoman said this week that discussing it would be premature since the deal is not finalized. But the job listing does suggest negotiations are headed in the right direction.
Jonathan Adler is a home design company known for colorful, modern home furnishings and accessories. A company store would be a coup for Minneapolis, and in particular for Uptown, which is trying to position itself as a destination for contemporary design.
Tags: jonathan adler, minneapolis retail, uptown
Posted in Home & Garden, store openings, Twin Cities retail | 3 Comments »
I’ve been a fan of jewelry designer Stacey Johnson since I first stepped into her charming, closet-sized store around the corner from Patina in South Minneapolis. Her designs are modern and understated–perfect for a touch of everyday pretty at an extremely reasonable price. The first pair of dangling gold hoops I bought from her remain in regular rotation. Johnson’s store burned down with Patina in 2010, and since then she’s popped up–not often enough–at shopping events or for trunk shows. You can find her jewelry at Bibelot and her husband’s downtown Minneapolis boutique Bahu (popular with travelers staying at the Hilton, but under-shopped by locals).
Johnson is about to raise her profile. She plans to open a boutique next door to martinpatrick3 in the North Loop. Great news for her fans, and for the budding North Loop shopping district, which will also welcome new fashion boutique Arrow next month. In addition to her own designs, Johnson will broaden the mix to include jewelry, handbags, accessories, gifts and clothing from other designers. “We plan to have a nice focus on local designers and companies while offering the best and unique brands from around the world,”said Johnson, who is on her way to New York for a buying trip.
The store will be called Statement. An April opening is planned.
Tags: arrow, martinpatrick3, minneapolis shopping, North Loop, Stacey Johnson, Statement store opening
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Just hours after Galleria issued a press release Monday about new stores, some shuffling within the mall and a few exits, Rocco Altobelli Salons took to Facebook with an announcement of its own–curiously absent from the official list:
“Yes the rumors are true: After 37 years of being a fixture in the Gallera mall, Rocco, Dianne and Nino have taken the option of not renewing their lease…We are moving!”
The Rocco Altobelli Salon and Day Spa is slated to open in April just a block south of Galleria at 3509 Hazelton Road. Features will include a color bar, a computer bar with WiFi, a nail drying bar, and space for larger groups. Plus parking right outside the door.
It was definitely time. Rocco Altobelli is an institution, but as they in the beauty biz know all to well, even institutions need an occasional makeover. And after all these years of nail services being in a separate space on the lower level of Galleria, it will be nice to bring that piece of the business into one brand new salon.
Tags: Edina salons, edina shopping, Galleria, rocco altobelli
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Whenever it’s quiet at the Galleria in Edina, you know something is brewing. The Twin Cities most upscale center masterfully keeps itself fresh. Today , Galleria announced several moves and arrivals, the largest of which furthers the center’s reputation for fine furnishings:
Furniture retailer Arhaus is opening a 15,000-square-foot store that will anchor the east end of the Galleria. The 25-year-old retailer produces many of its own designs. The look is updated traditional, with global influences. It should appeal to the customer that appreciates Gabberts, but can’t quite afford it. This is the first Arhaus store in Minnesota. Its arrival also signals a departure: original Galleria tenant Schmitt Music is moving to Richfield. Next door, Cole Haan plans to build a new store at the west end of the center. Arhaus is scheduled to open in the fall.
Marmi, specializing in European footwear and accessories, will open its first Minnesota store at the Galleria this summer.
Allure Intimate Apparel, which has boutiques on Grand Avenue in St. Paul and Main Street in Maple Grove, plans to make Galleria its Twin Cities flagship with a new store next door to StyledLife. The locally owned retailer sells innerwear and loungewear by LeMystere, Chantelle and others.
Other moves: Papyrus is moving next door to Tiffany & Co. Hammer Made is doubling its size with a new storefront due to open in April. Bang & Olufsen is creating a new showroom for its high-end electronics on the lower level of the center.
More departures: A Pea in the Pod is closing (likely due to the opening this week of Destination Maternity, its parent brand, at Mall of America). Que Sera is also leaving Galleria for Excelsior this month, as previously reported here.
Tags: A Pea in the Pod, Allure Intimate Apparel, Arhaus, Bang & Olufsen, Cole Haan, Destination Maternity, edina shopping, Galleria, Marmi, Papyrus, Schmitt Music
Posted in store closings, store openings, Twin Cities retail | No Comments »
After 14 years at the Galleria in Edina, Que Sera is moving to downtown Excelsior. It’s not a move away from the Galleria as much as it is a move to Lake Minnetonka, which is home to owners Mary and Tom Lauer. Their successful Oh Baby! store will remain at Galleria, with an expanded design center.
“We’ve been looking at Excelsior for a long time,” said Chief Financial Officer Tom Lauer. “Excelsior hasn’t always had its retail act together, but it’s getting better and better all the time.”
Que Sera is taking over the Cynthia Rae storefront on Water Street. This is not the Lauers’ first lakeside storefront: They used to have an Oh Baby! store, which became an outlet, in downtown Wayzata. Rennovation is currently underway at 244 Water Street in Excelsior: the floor is being replaced with reclaimed hardwood, the tin ceiling is being refreshed, and the original brick walls will be revealed. The overall look, like the merchandise, will reflect designer Mary Lauer’s aesthetic: comfy, organic, handmade and luxurious. In Excelsior, Que Sera will continue to sell impulse items: jewelry, pillows, small accessories. But there will be more emphasis on design, and more space for larger pieces and textiles. Que Sera offers complete interior design services and handmakes much of the merchandise it sells, from window covers to furniture.
“I think the customers are here,” Tom Lauer said. “They just need a place to go.”
A floor sample sale is on now at the Galleria store–save 30 to 70 percent on all in-stock lighting and furniture through Jan. 28. Que Sera will re-open at 244 Water Street in Excelsior in early February. And–sorry, can’t resist–whatever will be, will be.
Tags: excelsior, Galleria, interior design, Que Sera
Posted in Home & Garden, store openings, Twin Cities retail | 1 Comment »
Signs point to a fashionable 2012: Two former employees of Intoto, the exclusive Uptown boutique that left a designer void when it closed last year, are opening a store in the North Loop. Arrow is expected to open by the end of January in the old martinpatrick3 space. Partners Sarah Dwyer and Michael Basham describe their concept as “similar to Intoto, but with more color and not quite as high end.” Arrow will stock some edgy lines not widely available in the Twin Cities, including Surface to Air (pictured) and Vanessa Bruno for women; Steven Alan and Rogan for men. Stay tuned for opening details. 121 N. First St., Mpls.
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CB2 opens Saturday in Uptown and if tonight’s hopping preview party was any indication, people are excited to welcome Crate & Barrel’s urban contemporary sister store to Hennepin Avenue. What’s nice is the Chicago-based retailer seems equally excited to be here–buyers were planning to check out their competition–er, neighbors–this weekend. There’s a nice little contemporary scene brewing in Uptown, with Roam‘s new store, Design Within Reach, and now CB2′s sprawling one-level store anchoring the corner. This is CB2′s 11th store nationwide.
I was living in Chicago 11 years ago when the first CB2 opened, targeting, well, me. It was clearly a level below Crate & Barrel, focused on inexpensive, but well designed accessories for city dwellers. The store has grown up with me–more clearly defining its contemporary aesthetic and adding furniture, lighting, tableware and accessories galore. Prices are by no means IKEA cheap, but there are fewer 1s in front of the sofa prices, which is reassuring…even all these years after college. 3045 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.
Tags: cb2, contemporary furniture, crate & barrel, minneapolis retail, uptown
Posted in Home & Garden, store openings, Twin Cities retail | No Comments »
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