Old Orchard Observer

March 23, 2006

Forth & Towne expands to 5 new locations

Old Orchard features one of the five prototype stores in Gap's Forth & Towne concept. Amy and I checked out this store last year. According to a March 22 press release from Gap Inc., these stores have been successful enough to warrant the launch of 5 new locations in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco/San Jose and Seattle. The new locations are slated to open Fall 2006.

Posted by Tannerman at 12:06 PM

March 09, 2006

Old Orchard Expansion Plans Downsized

Remember that big expansion plan leaked by Westfield last June regarding Old Orchard's future? At the core of that idea was tearing down both the Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor anchor buildings and replacing them with space for smaller shops. It was going to be the catalyst for rebranding Old Orchard as a "lifestyle center."

Apparently, those grand plans have been downsized greatly, much to the dismay of myself. According to the Chicago Tribune, Skokie (the village where Old Orchard is based) just approved a much smaller plan:

Skokie OKs mall changes
March 9, 2006
Tribune staff, wire reports

The Skokie Village Board has approved changes to the Old Orchard shopping center that are far less ambitious than the plans floated last year by the mall's Australian owner, Westfield Group. As part of a redevelopment of the former Saks Fifth Avenue store, the existing 104,000-square-foot structure would be replaced with a 64,000-square-foot building for smaller specialty stores and restaurants, according to a village report released this week. The plans would affect Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, which took over the Saks store last year. A representative of the inexpensive apparel retailer, which sells jeans, jackets and licensed college goods, declined to comment. Construction is expected to begin this summer. In June Westfield considered adding as much as 300,000 square feet of space to the well-known center. A representative could not be reached for comment.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Posted by Tannerman at 10:33 AM

February 22, 2006

Field's Name Change: September 9

The jerks at Federated Department Stores have announced the date of the name change for Marshall Field's... it's going to take place the weekend of September 9. The stupid Macy's name will then appear at Old Orchard as well as every other Field's location, including the classic State Street store. Here's what the Chicago Sun-Times has to say:

Field's to become Macy's in Sept.
February 22, 2006
By Sandra Guy, Business Reporter

Marshall Field's will be officially renamed Macy's the weekend of Sept. 9-10, Field's parent company Federated Department Stores announced Tuesday -- the same day it reported better-than-expected holiday profits.

CEO Terry Lundgren also introduced a new marketing chief he hopes will make the Macy's name as well-known as Pepsi.

Lundgren said he wants to advertise Macy's in new ways so it becomes a national icon rather than a traditional department store.

To do so, Cincinnati-based Federated has hired Anne MacDonald, 50, a former top marketing officer at Citibank and Pizza Hut, as Macy's chief marketing officer and president of Macy's corporate marketing division.

MacDonald, most recently at Citibank, has built her career at consumer products companies such as AT&T, Citicorp and Procter & Gamble.

MacDonald, who will start her new job in late March, will succeed Peter Sachse, 48, who will take a new role as chairman and CEO of Macy's online site, www.Macys.com.

Macy's Web site is expected to grow in sales volume and functionality because Federated is pumping $130 million into its online and mail-order business in the next two years to boost its infrastructure and service capabilities.

MacDonald will be in charge of the TV ad campaign and other efforts to promote the company's growth as a national retailer, and as it prepares to change the name of some 400 stores it purchased to Macy's.

The Macy's nameplate will be affixed in phases to Marshall Field's and the other former May Department stores, but the nameplates will be covered with a banner until the Sept. 9-10 grand unveiling, a Federated spokesman said.

Profits at Federated during the important holiday season jumped 59 percent to $699 million, or $2.52 a share, on an 87 percent surge in sales to $9.57 billion.

Federated, which also owns Bloomingdale's, bought May Department Stores for $11.5 billion on Aug. 30.

It promoted deep discounts at the May Department Stores during the holidays to clear the racks so Federated can install its own brands, decor and private-label fashions.

Excluding merger costs and inventory adjustments to reflect clearance sales, Federated's earnings from continuing operations totaled $2.74 a share, easily topping analysts' consensus estimate of $2.62 a share.

Net income was bolstered by a tax settlement, a tight rein on costs and inventory and better-than-expected sales and profit margins at May Department Stores, including Marshall Field's, L.S. Ayres, Hecht's, Foley's, Famous Barr and five other regional department-store chains.

Sales at all of the May Department Stores unit, including Marshall Field's, inched up 0.1 percent, a far better result than Federated's earlier forecast of a sales decline of 5 to 7 percent.

Sales at Federated stores open at least a year -- a key gauge of a retailer's health -- were up 1.1 percent.

Lundgren has said 2006 will be a transition year with costs for store closings, the addition of 400 Macy's nameplates nationwide, and continued efforts to improve disappointing sales at the home-furnishings stores. Federated expects its same-store sales in 2006 to increase 2 to 3 percent, and to have full-year earnings of $3.45 to $3.70 per share.

Federated said it has buyers interested in the Lord & Taylor department-store chain and May's bridal group of stores, both of which it is selling. It declined to reveal the potential buyers' names, but said the sales should be completed this year.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Posted by Tannerman at 09:29 AM

February 14, 2006

Old photos of Old Orchard Shopping Center

Want to see how Old Orchard looked in the 1950s (pre-Westfield)? Thanks to a blog called Malls of America (catchy title), you can see retro photographs of various shopping centers from around the country.

The author has published two entries on Old Orchard. The first features a historical shot of Marshall Field's (soon to be Macy's -- blah). The second image depicts what I believe is now the intersection of The Park and The Garden looking north. The historical shot features a lot more trees!

Posted by Tannerman at 04:01 PM

January 13, 2006

Federated puts Lord & Taylor on the block

The anchor situation continues to be interesting at Old Orchard with Federated Department Stores announcing yesterday that they are selling their Lord & Taylor division. Old Orchard has a Lord & Taylor location, though it is rather small. In fact, the small store (along with the former Saks Fifth Avenue space, now a Steve & Barry's University Sportswear) were outlined for demolition by Westfield when their Old Orchard expansion plans were made public last June.

I'm guessing that the Steve & Barry's situation is a short-term lease and if Lord & Taylor gets sold/closed, Westfield will want to get their hands on that smaller building as well, clearing more hurdles for their expansion ideas. The Chicago Sun-Times has the full story on the Lord & Taylor ownership situation:

Federated to sell Lord & Taylor
January 13, 2006
by Sandra Guy, Business Reporter

Lord & Taylor is up for sale, and its stores may end up as new locations for an expanded Saks Fifth Avenue or another department store, analysts speculated Thursday.

Lord & Taylor's owner, Federated Department Stores, announced Thursday it will sell the 55-store chain so it can focus on its Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. The news ended rumors that had circulated for a year-and-a-half that Federated would dispense with the modernized but floundering Lord & Taylor, which has five Chicago area stores.

The Lord & Taylor chain garnered $1.57 billion in sales in 2004, and analysts immediately speculated that it could sell for $745 million after taxes.

The most likely buyers would be private-equity companies flush with cash. Private-equity companies have recently gobbled up Neiman Marcus Group and Toys R Us in separate deals.

Deborah Weinswig of Citigroup Smith Barney speculated that a private-equity buyer could buy Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, and rename all of the stores Saks Fifth Avenue.

Another analyst who asked not to be named said a smarter pairing would be Lord & Taylor with the upscale Parisian chain of 40 department stores in the South. Parisian is being sold by Saks.

Federated bought the New York-based Lord & Taylor chain as part of its stunning $11.9 billion takeover of the May Department Stores, including Marshall Field's and L.S. Ayres. The consolidation of the country's top two department-store chains, announced a year ago, took effect Aug. 30.

May Department Stores had tried to turn around the Lord & Taylor chain by introducing more fashionable merchandise and closing 32 stores that represented 38 percent of Lord & Taylor's store base but only 19 percent of the chain's total sales.

Federated expects to sell Lord & Taylor this year. Federated CEO Terry Lundgren, the man responsible for renaming Marshall Field's as Macy's, said that although Lord & Taylor didn't fit Federated's focus, it has "a great name, many outstanding locations, an experienced management team and a strong customer following."

Local shoppers have lost two Saks Fifth Avenue stores in the last three years, and could see more closings of Lord & Taylor stores.

After Saks announced last May it would close its Saks Fifth Avenue store at Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie, the shopping center proposed tearing down the Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue stores to build an open-air shopping area filled with specialty retailers.

Two years ago, Saks closed its Saks Fifth Avenue store at Oakbrook Center mall in the western suburbs. It was replaced by a Bloomingdale's Home Store.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Posted by Tannerman at 10:03 AM

December 14, 2005

Christmas at Fountain Court

Christmas has hit our favorite Westfield mall (though my wish with Santa would be for Westfield to knock off the little ego trip about their name -- it's stupid). Amy and I like to take photos to capture the decorations (see what we found last year).

A tradition at Old Orchard is to drain the large fountain located in Fountain Court (yeah, that's how it got its name) and put a large Christmas tree on that location, complete with little enclosed windows containing animated stuffed animals. It's not as cool as going downtown to see the State Street Christmas windows, but it's something.

The windows at the base of the tree feature animated teddy bears doing stuff with musical instruments. It's supposed to come off as cute, but frankly the display is rather cold and lifeless. Probably because their is no storyline, music, or purpose... and sometimes the mechanics are broken. But other than that, it's not too bad! :)

Then again, I think I'd rather tolerate this weak display than have to put up with Marshall Field's becoming crapola-Macy's.

Posted by Tannerman at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)

Coming Soon: Max's Opera Cafe

The Houlihan's restaurant has closed next to The Orchard Food Court. I remember eating there one or two times. For some reason, all I can remember is that they only served whole milk. What the heck was up with that? In any case, construction baracades are now up promoting Max's Opera Cafe of Skokie. This appears to be a chain out of California. According to the locations on their website, looks like Old Orchard might be one of their first non-West Coast locations.

The description from the website is as follows:

Towering deli sandwiches, gigantic salads and entree specialties plus decadent fresh-baked breads and award-winning desserts have been signature items of family-owned Max's Restaurants since 1978 with the opening of Max's Son in Daly City. Dennis Berkowitz, owner of Max's, named the restaurant in honor of his father. Max's sang a new tune in 1982 with the opening of Max's Opera Cafe in San Francisco, where the customer is entertained by servers singing opera and show tunes. Max's Diner, opening in 1985, took us back to the '50's and '60's "counter culture". Twenty-five years later, Max's uncompromising standards protecting the customer's right to a great meal have remained and fans continue to keep Max's Restaurants cooking round-the-clock.

Looks like it could be fun dining experience with all that singing! Slated to open in "Spring 2006".

Posted by Tannerman at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)

Now Open: Oil & Vinegar

As previously mentioned, Oil & Vinegar has opened at Old Orchard in the old Crabtree & Evelyn space in the Fountain Court. We talked to the guy at the store. Store has only been open a few weeks. They are pretty new in the U.S., but have been in Europe for about 5 years. Bascially, it's kinda like a bulk candy store, where you pay to fill up glass bottles with the type of oils you want. Of course you can taste them before hand. Some are pretty pricey. But it's an interesting concept if you are into such things. I can see us going back to check it out.

Posted by Tannerman at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)

Now Open: Sony Style

With the Disney Store relocated, the Sony Store is now open in the old Mickey space on Pear Lane. I can't say it looks more exciting than the Apple Store... but then again, what is? Not a big fan of Sony technologies or their corporate policies. But hey, at least it's not another clothing store at Old Orchard, which I appreciate!

Posted by Tannerman at 08:56 PM | Comments (0)

Now Open: H2O Plus... finally!

Well, it's been behind construction walls since May... but H2O Plus has finally opened on Pear Lane at Old Orchard. Good grief, that took freakin' forever. Fire the folks who worked on that job! (Or maybe Westfield just dragged the negotiations or something... who knows?)

Posted by Tannerman at 08:53 PM | Comments (0)

Relocation: PURE

PURE is the "largest and most experienced privately-owned aesthetic companies in the United States and Canada with over 600,000 procedures performed to date." So apparently they do stuff like hair removal and that Botox stuff. And now they are moving to a space Hawthorne Way near the movie theater. PURE's previous location was actually in the Professional Building, so this is obviously a move to give them more public exposure. Per the construction wall, they are "Opening Soon".

Posted by Tannerman at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)

November 29, 2005

So long Saks, hello Steve and Barry's

Back in May, we reported here at the Old Orchard Observer about Saks Fifth Avenue gearing up to close at Old Orchard. The store finally did close at the end of July.

Before Saks did say good-bye, there were various levels of Store Closing sales. Amy and I dropped by many of these to check in on the progress of clearing out the large Saks space. The Old Orchard location had 3 levels (main, upper, and basement). Here are some photos we took during those final days.

Inside the store, many of the fixtures were for sale, though it seemed like quite a few were earmarked for other Saks locations.

Eventually, all mention of Saks would be removed from the mall. This electronic sign mounted on the Professional Building was quickly changed after the Saks closing to remove the name of the store (and they probably fixed the burned out lightbulbs as well).

Signage was removed from the main Saks building as well, resulting in a very empty, barren spot. Much like everything at that end of Old Orchard.

You may remember that back in June, word was leaked that Westfield was considering adding a lifestyle center element to Old Orchard. According to the plans made public, this would involve the demolition of both the Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue anchor buildings. I haven't heard anything new since that news came out, but we did wonder if Westfield would leave the Saks building vacant or try to find a new tenant. That question was answered in October when the Chicago Tribune reported on a tenant to fill the space:

$10-or-Less Clothing Retailer
A new style for Old Orchard
October 7, 2005
By Becky Yerak

Gone are the days when shopping malls relied solely on department stores as anchor tenants.

At Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie, a $10-or-less clothing retailer is moving into a vacated Saks store, an example of how even upscale malls in well-heeled areas are rethinking the notion of who should occupy the biggest spaces.

Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, which sells inexpensive men's, women's and children's clothes including jeans, jackets and licensed college goods, will occupy all three floors of the 105,000-square-foot space vacated by Saks in July. It is expected to open next month.

The privately held Port Washington, N.Y., firm typically operates stores ranging from 20,000 to 150,000 square feet in less prestigious malls.

"This is our first Class A mall," Steve & Barry's spokesman Rick Gomes said.

"They came to us because we're a company who can put something in quickly," he said of the retailer's relationship with mall owner Westfield Group.

At Old Orchard, Steve & Barry's joins such traditional mall stalwarts as Marshall Field's, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom. Spaces for those retailers range from just under 200,000 square feet to 400,000 square feet.

As retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. open hundreds of free-standing stores a year, malls are trying new ways to remain relevant to consumers, particularly younger ones, and are looking beyond tried-and-true conventional department stores as key tenants.

"We thought Steve & Barry's would be a great addition and bring a different clientele," said Thomas Sikoral, Westfield Old Orchard general manager.

In May, Steve & Barry's was named in an International Council of Shopping Centers survey as one of retailing's five hottest merchants--along with Apple Computer Inc., Coach Inc., Williams Sonoma Inc. and White House Black Market, a subsidiary of Chico's FAS. Inc.

In a May interview, Steve & Barry's co-founder and co-Chief Executive Barry Prevor, said he is interested in any mall anchor spots that might open up as a result of industry consolidation, which recently has touched such retailers as Sears, Macy's and Marshall Field's.

Mall developers, he noted, have become more open-minded about what constitutes an anchor tenant in light of mergers that are making department stores more homogeneous.

"If a mall has four department store anchor spots, and one goes vacant, then years ago mall management would have thought, `Get another department store.' Now, they say, `We have three department stores selling the same brands at the same prices. What would be the point of bringing in an identical department store?'" Prevor told the Tribune.

"So they look for alternative uses. This has been one of the great drivers behind our growth," he said.

Steve & Barry's has 87 stores in 27 states and plans to open another 40 stores by year-end.

In June 2004, it opened one in Westfield Chicago Ridge mall in Chicago Ridge, followed in October 2004 by a location in North Riverside Park Mall in North Riverside.

The retailer has plans to open more stores across the area, including outlets at Westfield Fox Valley in Aurora, Randhurst Mall in Mt. Prospect, Westfield Louis Joliet in Joliet, University Mall in Carbondale and in Springhill Mall in West Dundee.

Source: Chicago TribuneSteve and Barry's University Sportswear was founded in 1985, and while it seems like a good short-term fit for Old Orchard, my money is that they have a short-term lease with Westfield so that the lifestyle center plans would not be harmed.

Amy and I checked out the new store shortly after they opened. While the merchandise was somewhat appealing (mainly for price), the store itself looked like the new tenants had done nothing to remodel the space. Thus indicating that this is probably not a long-term solution for Old Orchard. But we'll see.

The addition of Steve & Barry's will help The Promenade section of Old Orchard not seem so dead, but I'm not quite sure that it fits the image that the mall is trying to portray. Then again, Westfield has already done a pretty good job making the mall more crappy, so anything goes these days.

Posted by Tannerman at 12:26 AM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2005

Now Open: Forth & Towne

We explored the new Forth & Towne store at Old Orchard last night. This is one of five prototypes across the U.S. (4 of which are in Chicago). The store opened on August 31. As speculated, the store is two floors.

It's definitely a different feeling when compared to Gap's other stores. This one feels more like a department store. Very lush decor, almost retro in nature... harkens back to the comfy shopping experiences of old. A large staircase welcomes you to the second floor. Vast changing rooms take up a large circular space on both the first and second floors.

This store is obviously marketed at the same demographic as Talbots... older or professional women. Paul Pressler and friends have launched a couple of brands to support this approach.

Those include:

Allegory
Features suiting with a distinctly feminine touch and classic pieces with modern elegance.

Gap Edition
Inspired by the nostalgia of Gap - fresh, casual, American style with a more mature fit.

Prize
Celebrates fun, wearable trends with flattering silhouettes, flirty fabrics, and stylish cuts.

Vocabulary
Offers comfort and graceful femininity with rich knits and pants accentuated with prints and jewelry.

Overall, nifty looking place. Clothes were rather pricey, but that was to be expected. Impressive store design. I liked the approach they tried to take there. That said, it seemed like there really wasn't a whole lot of stuff "in" the square footage they had. Probably an intentional move, but felt more empty in the end. Then again, it's just not my demographic, I guess.

Posted by Tannerman at 10:53 AM

Old Orchard Kids Club

Apparently, Old Orchard has a kids club now called KidOOdles. Note the double OO in the name for "Old Orchard". Clever. You've already missed "Halloween Happenings" on October 1, but you can plan ahead for two other events: "Thoughtful Thanksgiving" on November 5 and "Holiday Celebration" on December 3. God forbid we actually use the "Christmas" word in the retail realm. Can't offend, now can we? Whatever.

More info in The Orchard Food Court.

Posted by Tannerman at 10:51 AM

Now Open: Ethel's Chocolate Lounge

Earlier in the summer, the Gloria Jeans location at Old Orchard closed up shop, to be replaced by a new concept from Mars, Inc. called Ethel's Chocolate Lounge. Well, that new store is now open.

Amy and I checked it out last night. It's much different than our old coffee hangout. First off, much more upscale in nature. For example, 4 small, dinky pieces of chocolate were $6! Are you kidding me? There were couches, tables, and a lot of retro-60s styling. The guy at the counter asked if we had ever been there before, which of course we hadn't. He gave us a little brochure thingy that showed all their flavors, broken down into 5 categories utilizing 3 different types of chocolate... Dark (d), Milk (m), and White (w):

Cocktail
Etheltini (d)
Yum Run (d)
Perfecto Mojito (m)
Champagne Cocktail (m)
Lemon Drop (d)
Chocolapolitan (d)
Mucha Margarita (m)
Classic Cabernet (d)

Truffle
Honey Truffle (d)
Milk Chocolate Truffle (m)
Dark Chocolate Truffle (d)
Espresso Truffle (d)
Pina Colada Truffle (w)
Mint Truffle (d)
Pistachio Truffle (d)
Earl Grey Tea Truffle (m)
Cinnamon Truffle (d)
Ginger Citrus Truffle (m)
Vanilla Truffle (w)

Nut and Caramel
Creamy Caramel (d)
Chewy Caramel (m)
Creamy Caramel (m)
Chewy Caramel (d)
Almond Crunch (d)
Macadamia Crunch (m)
Macadamia Crunch (d)
Pecan Caramel Crunch (m)
Pecan Toffee Crisp (m)
Almond Toffee Crisp (m)
Macadamia Toffee Crisp (m)

Fruit
Coco-Mango Tango (d)
Lemon Merengue (d)
Strawberry Sonata (m)
Banana Bop (d)
Raspberry Rhapsody (m)
Key Lime Limbo (d)
Orange Groove (d)
Coconut Samba (d)
Passion Rumba (m)
Raspberry Peach Fusion (m)

American Pop
Turtlicious (m)
Refresh Mint (d)
Peanut Better (m)
Cinna-swirl (m)
Crispy (m)
Circus Peanut (m)
Miss American Pie (m)
PB&J (m)

You have to love the creative writing that went into this brochure. For example:

here, among the truffles and cocktails, the nuts and caramels, the fruits and familiar favorites, you'll find one very rare and extraordinary ingredient common to every piece of ethel's chocolate: 100% pure chocolate passion. You can see it in the exquisite finish, detect it in the heady aroma, and taste it in every sumptuous and silky, warm-blended bite. We believe you will enjoy these premium chocolates as much as we enjoy making them for you. You love chocolate. We're here to help. Have a chocolate day.

Amy and I didn't actually buy anything during our first visit. I might consider trying their hot chocolate when the weather gets warmer (that should probably only run me like $10 a cup, right?).

Overall, interesting concept. Might work with the rich folks on the North Shore. But I'm not sure the everyman would give it a second look.

Posted by Tannerman at 10:05 AM

Coming Soon: Sony Style

So now that Disney Store is being relocated into the old space from The Bombay Company, what's moving into the old Disney Store space? How about a Sony Style store! Think Apple Store, but not as cool or hip. C'mon, when was the last time the Walkman had a chance against the iPod? Anyway, official opening date is "Fall 2005."

Posted by Tannerman at 09:05 AM

Now Open: Sisley

Back in June the construction walls first went up for Sisley. Well, the store is now open down in The Garden. Enjoy!

Posted by Tannerman at 09:00 AM

Relocation: More on Disney Store

As mentioned back in July, Disney Store is moving from Pear Lane over to the old space from The Bombay Company in The Park. Construction walls are now up, and frankly, are decorated quite poorly.

I think the downgrade in quality can probably be associated with the new ownership of Disney Store, which happens to be the folks over at The Children's Place. (As of August 27, 2005, they owned and operated 771 The Children's Place stores and 309 Disney Stores in North America.) Yup, it's another thing we can thank Michael Ei$ner for! Also, for the record, the official name is "Disney Store", not "The Disney Store". That change was made a few years ago when the franchise tried to become more "hip". Whatever.

Posted by Tannerman at 08:51 AM

Coming Soon: Oil & Vinegar

Looks like we are getting an Oil & Vinegar store at Old Orchard soon, located in the previous Crabtree & Evelyn space over in the Fountain Court (Crabtree moved to a new location in The Park). What is Oil & Vinegar? According to their website, they are "tasteful gift shops where you will find all sorts of splendid culinary gifts from all four corners of the world. Different types of olive oils and vinegar, together with a whole host of articles associated with gourmet eating and attractive tables." Yeah, sounds just like the perfect, over-priced, yuppie store that would do well at Old Orchard! Expected opening: November 16.

Posted by Tannerman at 08:39 AM

September 29, 2005

Time for Fall!

Fall is now upon us, which means it's going to be getting colder soon. Make sure you take the time to enjoy the outdoor experience of Old Orchard before you are rushing from store to store just to keep warm!

Posted by Tannerman at 04:47 PM

Outside the Orchard - 09.29.05

We know you've been missing it (and have got to be saddened by all the Marshall Field's-Macy's news), so once again the Old Orchard Observer presents Outside the Orchard, a brief look at what the online world is saying about Skokie's mall.

Over on Jeni's Musings, a simple observation is made regarding the outdoor beauty of Old Orchard (even if it was posted way back in May) [Saturday, May 28]:

Saturdays are made for shopping

went with tita gina to old orchard mall (out door mall) in skokie - it is so beautiful. should have taken a picture. but too busy shopping

Jasmine writes about the recently-added Sephora store via News From The Flip Front [Monday, July 11]:

Stef and I shop for makeup at the Sephora store in Old Orchard Mall. This is where I find the Paul & Joe mascara which, when applied, makes me look like I could be an extra in a Bollywood musical.

Trey took a trip to Chicago back in June, and stayed at a hotel near the mall. Here are his thoughts posted via his blog, uniquely titled Trey's Blog [Thursday, June 30]:

To snap us back to reality, we trekked back across downtown to where we had parked. We drove back to Old Orchard, where our motel is located and visited the mall there, Westfield at Old Orchard. This mall is very cool because it has a indoor mall layout, but maintains an outdoor architecture. In other words, the stores are side-by-side, the walkways are close, and the roof only exists on top of the stores. A nice cool breeze blew through the entire time. This would be very nice to have in Houston, but the heat could make it a miserable experience. The girls ate a couple of New York style (thin crust) pizza slices. Cheri and I split a gyro and a Vienna Beef hot dog. They were decent, but still considered mall food. We finished out the day sharing a waffle cone of Fat Free Dreamsicle Frozen Yogurt. YUMM.

Andrew writes via md-2-b about leaving his church in Chicago to head to New York and med school! Apparently, he was suprised about what happened after that final Sunday service [Monday, July 25]:

So I figure something is up, but I'm not really sure what. At 6, Tai and I arrive at J&J's place. We're supposed to go to Maggiano's at Old Orchard, but Jeannie has to drop off a book at Tuscany's for a med school friend. I don't think anything of it... but when we get to Tuscany's, John suggests that we *all* go inside so that "we can see what it looks like." Hmm. So I follow, a little warily. Then the hostess greets us and asks, "Won, party of 20?" Haha... so the surprise was up.

I really didn't mean to find out about the dinner, and I really am sorry that it wasn't a surprise. It was very thoughtful and well planned out =c)

Did you know that Old Orchard has 12 movie screens? After that big rennovation a few years back, they doubled the capacity for movies. And bum writes on The Bum Log about seeing one of the summer's better films at the "Double O" (um, that's Old Orchard in can you couldn't figure it out) [Saturday, June 18]:

Just got back from seeing "Batman Begins" at Old Orchard. It was a good movie, commendable acting by Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine et al, but my favorite part? The fantastic job they did turning Chicago into Gotham City!!!

On the other hand, many bad films have been viewed at the mall as well, as Swain describes on The House of Swain [Saturday, June 18]:

I can recall sneaking into Cruel Intentions at Old Orchard in Skokie, Illinois... and many others so forgettable, that they're already out of my head for good. Having said that, I can tell you that I DID catch a free showing of Battlefield: Earth, and I STILL wanted my money back afterward.

The addition of extra theatres does make things rather confusing, however, because the screen locations are split 6 and 6. Screens 1-6 are located near Potbelly's while Screens 7-12 are near Maggiano's. The author of Modern Day Spinster shares in the confusion [Wednesday, August 10]:

In an interesting turn of events I went to the movies with BJ and saw March of Penguins at Old Orchard. I didn't park on the Maggiano's side because I inverted the theater numbers in my head.

The Beyond Retail blog "features opinion on retail, community and local projects and issues in the towns of Framingham and Natick, located in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts." And apparently, the author isn't happy that there aren't more Apple Stores in the area... using the example of Northbook Court and Old Orchard here in the Midwest [Wednesday, July 13]:

Old Orchard, an upscale shopping mall in Skokie, IL, is a mere 8.4 miles and 13 minutes from Northbrook. And not to diss Chicagoland, but I personally think that there are a lot more Apple users in MetroWest and Boston then in Chicago's North Shore and even the city of Chicago, seeing all of the universities and colleges in the area, not to mention the iPod craze that has been huge in this area.

Of course, Anabel (of Anabel Lee After Dark) likes the fact that Old Orchard has an Apple Store because, well, you can buy stuff there [Friday, August 5]:

Oh, I guess I should mention that tomorrow morning I'm going to Old Orchard to buy my ibook. I know, I know, I have no use for it. But to be honest, I really want it. Plus I have the money for it. Or well, I will in a week. I'll probably stop using my desktop as much. Perhaps only to play the sims. In any case, I'm excited.

Congress approved a transportation bill back in July. The Chicago Tribune had this interesting tidbit [Sunday, July 31]:

In addition to authorizing the CTA's proposed Circle Line, the legislation approves extending the Orange Line from Midway Airport to the Ford City shopping center, extending the Red Line from 95th Street to 130th Street and continuing the Yellow Line from Dempster Street in Skokie to the Old Orchard shopping center.

The Jade, who authors Jaded in Chicago apparently is divorced and has a kid... but has time to shop [Sunday, July 31]:

I got a pretty sweet divorce deal wherein The Ex paid my mortgage and all my bills and childcare costs for a year and a half. So, I just went to school, didn't work, and curbed my shopping tendencies. The limiting my shopping was hard considering that until that point I was like a homing pigeon trained to return to the shoe department at Nordstrom in Old Orchard on a regular basis. But I managed.

On More Nonsense, Nick writes about the worst year of his life, 1997 [Wednesday, July 27]:

The other thing that happened in 97 was that I had quit working at IRI and was now consulting. Consulting meant that I would not get a vacation all year. I worked a forty to fifty hour week every week with out any break. Holidays came and I didn’t even get paid for them. Plus I was no longer working downtown so I had to drive to work every day, which I hated. I missed being in the loop and being able to go to lunch in the big city. Instead I was relegated to going to Old Orchard mall and grabbing some fast food.

Rita describes herself as "a student at the University of Chicago. I'm unfriendly. And I don't like squirrels." I believe she's also Jewish if you take the posts of her Nobody Sasses A Girl In Glasses blog into context. As since Old Orchard is located on Chicago's North Shore, a heavily Jewish area, you are bound to get some overlap in blog postings [Thursday, August 4]:

But there's nothing in itself wrong with recording all the minutia that made up the geography of life for Chicago Jews, and a lot of which makes up my own geography a few generations later--West Roger's Park, Lincolnwood, Hyde Park, Devon Ave., Boone School, Old Orchard Mall, The Bagel, even Jimmy's gets a nod. There's always something personal at stake when your own geography is opened to the public via a book or a movie. You become the kid who sees himself in a family movie and recognizes himself for the first time: "That's me! That's my house!" And you wonder how everyone else watching perceives you and your house. Do they see the same things you see?

The folks at Steve's News Annex plagiarize the Chicago Tribune with info about the previously-discussed (here, here, here, and here) Forth & Towne concept store at Old Orchard. Here are some excerpts from the excerpts [Monday, August 8]:

As for Old Orchard, "it's a mall, but it's an outside mall" with a good tenant mix, Muto said. "It's an affluent area and it's close enough to the city that it draws city residents. We're trying a two-level store there."

Apparently, you will soon be able to get some facial work done at Old Orchard, per the Chicago Tribune [Tuesday, September 13]:

Consumers shopping for shoes at Westfield Old Orchard will soon be able to pick up a shot of Botox, too. Pure Laser, which performs its hair removal, acne treatments and facelifts-in-a-bottle from the sixth floor of a professional building at the Skokie mall, is expected to begin construction soon on a location that will make it neighbors to other tenants Marshall Field's, Lenscrafters, Big Toy Express and Champps Americana. "My guess is it will offer more exposure to customers in the mall and walk-in traffic," said Shannon Ridgeway, Westfield Old Orchard marketing director. The higher-profile site is expected to open before the end of the year. Pure is at the forefront of what could be an explosion of personal-care services popping up in shopping centers as Baby Boomers want to try to turn back the clock, one retail consultant said.

Finally, we have some photos of good old Old Orchard, hosted via that nifty Flickr service (which Yahoo! recently acquired, so you know it's going to turn bad soon... anyone remember Hotmail pre-Microsoft?). Mac(3) shares a photo of the fountain located in the Fountain Court (go figure). Also shot by this photographer was two photos of the lion statue (1 and 2), also found in Fountain Court. And last but not least, two odd photos of a parking sign (1 and 2).

And that pretty much wraps up this edition of Outside the Orchard. Hope you found the postings completely pointless!

Posted by Tannerman at 04:24 PM

September 20, 2005

Marshall Field's to become Macy's

Well, it looks like we'll see a namechange at Old Orchard soon (as well as downtown on State Street). Stupid Macy's.

No miracle on State Street: Marshall Field's to change to Macy's
Tribune staff reports
Published September 20, 2005, 11:01 AM CDT

Marshall Field & Co., a name long venerated in the history of Chicago retailing, will disappear in the fall of 2006, to be replaced by Macy's.

All 62 Field's in Illinois and seven other states will be converted to Macy's, according to today's announcement by Federated Department Stores Inc., Field's new owner.

While Federated had "great respect for the legacy and traditions of Marshall Field's," the decision to drop the Field's name was made after Federated "carefully researched customer preferences and studied alternatives," Terry J. Lundgren, Federated's chairman, president and chief executive, said in a news release.

"While the store's name will change, much of what customers love will stay the same, including Marshall Field's traditions and its outstanding record of community and charitable giving," Lundgren said.

"From a shopping standpoint, customers will have the best of both worlds in major markets like Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit," Lundgren said.

"They will continue to benefit from regional buying that remains attuned to local preferences and lifestyles plus enjoy the distinctive merchandise and shopping experience that's part of the Macy's brand," Lundgren said.

"As part of this name change process, we will do everything we can to honor the Marshall Field's heritage, particularly in its Chicago birthplace."

The stores will be operated under a Minneapolis-based division, Macy's North, the Cincinnati-based Federated said.

Federated, parent of Macy's and Bloomingdale's, doubled its size Aug. 30 by completing its $11 billion acquisition of Field's owner, May Department Stores Co.

The acquisition gave rise to immediate misgivings among Chicagoans familiar with Federated's history of changing the names of regional department store chains it acquired to Macy's.

Most other May chains, including Famous-Barr, with seven Illinois stores, are to be renamed Macy's by fall 2006. One exception is Lord & Taylor, which Federated has ruled out changing.

The deal between Federated and May marked the second time in less than two years that Field's has changed hands. In July 2004, May bought Field's from Minneapolis-based Target Corp., which dumped its department store holdings to focus on its more vigorous discount chain.

The Federated-May deal created a $28 billion retailer with about 950 department stores.

Despite changing the name to Macy's, Field's may remain a fixture on State Street for some time to come. Two days after Federated closed its acquisition of May, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks formally recommended that the City Council bestow landmark status to the retailer's flagship store at State and Washington Streets.

If approved by the City Council, the landmark designation would give the city legal power to restrict building changes, including tinkering with the large nameplates on its exterior.

Preservationists and politicians have said changing the State Street store from Field's to Macy's would strip away a piece of the city's identity. Many also hoped a landmark designation would preserve the name of the State Street shopping icon.

"It's like changing the name of the Eiffel Tower, honestly," Preservation Chicago president Jonathan Fine said earlier this month. "I don't think Chicagoans will ever accept it as a Macy's. To us, that's somebody who sponsors a parade in New York."

Source: Chicago Tribune

Posted by Tannerman at 12:06 PM

September 02, 2005

Field's Watch: Chicago moving to protect State Street building

Panel backs landmark status for Field's flagship store
By Johnathon E. Briggs
Published September 1, 2005, 9:48 PM CDT

Whatever the new owners decide to call it, "Marshall Field and Company" may still be emblazoned on the outside of the historic department store, as the city moves closer to landmarking the building in the heart of the Loop.

The Commission on Chicago Landmarks formally recommended Thursday that the City Council bestow landmark status to the structure at State and Washington Streets.

If approved by the City Council, the landmark designation would give the city legal power to restrict building changes, including tinkering with the large nameplates on its exterior.

Ever since Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores Inc. bought Marshall Field's latest parent, May Department Stores Co., it has considered renaming all Field stores as Macy's, in its efforts to create a national brand. Federated spokesman Jim Sluzewski said the retail giant, which finalized its purchase Tuesday, would decide by year's end whether to keep or abandon the Field name.

Preservationists and politicians say a name change would strip away a piece of the city's identity, and many hope a landmark designation will preserve the name of the State Street shopping icon.

"It's like changing the name of the Eiffel Tower, honestly," said Preservation Chicago president Jonathan Fine. "I don't think Chicagoans will ever accept it as a Macy's. To us that's somebody who sponsors a parade in New York."

"The name Marshall Field is so synonymous with Chicago history," said Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd), who pushed for the designation of the department store, which lies in his ward.

In the 1890s, retail pioneer Marshall Field set out to create the finest department store in the world and commissioned the architectural firm of renowned architect Daniel H. Burhnam to design a retail palace.

The oldest section of the complex, the nine-story stone and terra-cotta clad Marshall Field Annex at the corner of Washington Street and Wabash Avenue , was constructed in 1892. The rest of the building, built in stages between 1902 and 1914, is clad in gray granite and rises 13 stories.

In 1907, a year after Field's death, the overall floor space of the store measured nearly 35 acres and was the world's largest department store.

The store was rated red in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, the highest category among structures considered by the city to be architecturally or historically significant. And last year, the landmarks commission gave it preliminary landmark status.

Describing it as the "grand dame" of department stores, the commission recommends protecting the building's exterior and key interior features, including the two bronze "Great Clocks" on State Street at Randolph and Washington Streets which were immortalized in 1945 by illustrator Norman Rockwell on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.

The designation would protect portions of the first-floor sales area, including its gilded pillars, the complex's white marble staircase and landing, cast-iron staircase and its 13-story atrium. Also recommend for protection is the six-story atrium on the south State Street section, including its Tiffany glass mosaic dome and the seventh-floor walnut-paneled dining room known as the Walnut Room.

The recommendation makes no specific reference to the Marshall Field's name plates that adorn the building. But Brian Goeken, deputy planning commissioner for the city's Landmarks Division, said Federated would have to get city approval if it seeks to remove or alter the name plates.

Goeken also said if Federated renames the building, it is possible it could end up like the landmarked Carbon & Carbide building at 230 N. Michigan Ave. The building's name remains on the exterior, but it also has modern signage indicating its conversion to a Hard Rock Hotel.

An attorney representing Federated at Thursday's hearing said the retail giant supports the recommendation for landmark designation.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Posted by Tannerman at 09:13 PM

August 24, 2005

Forth & Towne opening August 31

Chicago women can soon size up Gap's Forth & Towne
August 24, 2005
BY SANDRA GUY, Business Reporter

Chicago shoppers will be among the first to experience Gap's new Forth & Towne stores, aimed at women ages 35 and older.

Four of the retailer's five Forth & Towne stores nationwide will open Aug. 31 at Chicago area shopping malls. The fifth, at the Palisades Center in West Nyack, N.Y., opens today. The stores range in size from 8,000 to 10,000 square feet.

Gap also operates Old Navy and Banana Republic stores, as well as its namesake Gap stores.

Forth & Towne -- the name is meant to evoke a meeting place -- aims to lure baby boomer women from department stores and specialty stores such as Ann Taylor, Talbots and Chico's.

Gap has a ways to go, since it has a 3 percent market share among women older than 35. The target audience makes retailers salivate because it's the second-largest spending group behind teenagers, accounting for $66 billion in yearly spending on clothing.

A focal point of the Forth & Towne stores is the dressing room. A dozen spacious dressing rooms outfitted with adjustable lighting, three-way mirrors and experienced sales people nearby serve as the centerpiece of the stores. Each dressing room is decorated differently, and there's room for a husband, daughter or friend to sit inside.

Customers inside the dressing rooms can have a salesperson bring them clothes, and they may give their purchases to a salesperson to ring up while they get dressed.

"No one has made the dressing room a pleasurable experience or treated these shoppers with respect," said Forth & Towne President Gary Muto. "Our concept was very much inspired by the romanticism of 1940s and 1950s-era department stores, when shopping was an event."

Another effort to win fans is the use of a size 10 as a starting point to model how Forth & Towne's clothes fit. The traditional model is a size 8, but 70 percent of baby boomer women wear a size larger than 12, according to Forth & Towne executives.

Forth & Towne stores will sell clothes in women's and missy's sizes 2 through 20, compared with Gap's other chains that carry sizes 0 to 16.

Forth & Towne's target customers "are savvy women who know what they want," said Austyn Zung, the company's senior vice president of product design and development, at a press conference Tuesday at the New York store.

"These women are stylish, grownup and elegant. Their challenge is that they are not finding what they need in the marketplace today," said Zung, who joined Forth & Towne last year from Oscar de la Renta.

Another selling point is price. Most items sell for less than $100. Dress pants range in price from $88 to $108; blazers, $128 to $148; and outerwear, $88 to $168.

Customers who sign up for a loyalty program and who spend $500 receive free alterations and 5 percent off future purchases.

Four styles and brands of outfits, ranging from jeans to business clothes to dress-up, will be featured in boutiques to make the selections easier to shop. Shoppers are encouraged to assemble entire outfits in each style.

The stores also will highlight jewelry, shoes and handbags, and will let shoppers mix and match the accessories when they try on clothes.

The stores' layouts resulted from interviews, shop-alongs and closet inspections with likely shoppers within the past 18 months.

Gap chose Chicago as the first mass market for Forth & Towne because it's a profitable market for Gap's brands, and it has plenty of baby boomer women, ethnic and racial diversity and popular urban and suburban shopping centers, Muto said.

Forth & Towne stores will be located at Westfield Old Orchard shopping center in Skokie, Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Fox Valley Center in Aurora and at Algonquin Commons, an outdoor mall that includes Circuit City and OfficeMax as well as specialty apparel stores.

Gap plans to open five more Forth & Towne stores in 2006, and 30 in 2007. The locations have yet to be disclosed.

Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, said local demographics are certain to be "spot-on" with the ones Gap wants because the company is investing a great deal in the roll-out.

"It's not like they went into Denver or Kansas City, which would be much less expensive," Calkins said.

Gap is launching the Forth & Towne name to appeal to a new set of shoppers, and to preserve its three other brands, Calkins said.

"Gap's big challenge is to make the new brand very distinct from its other stores," Calkins said.

"Otherwise, Gap could end up with a portfolio that's too redundant and too complicated," he said.

Gap needs a winner. Sales at its stores open at least a year fell 3 percent in the second quarter, which ended July 30, and it lowered its yearly profit forecast last week.

The San Francisco-based retailer, which had $16.3 billion in revenue in 2004, might even be plumping itself up for a suitor, according to a report by analyst Robert F. Buchanan at A.G. Edwards.

He wrote: "There's a chance that an outside buyer might actually emerge for the Gap," especially when private equity firms are looking to invest their hefty cash reserves in underperforming companies with growth prospects.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Posted by Tannerman at 08:54 AM

July 29, 2005

Field's Watch: Name stays for now, Lord & Taylor safe

Since Old Orchard has department stores owned by Federated Department Stores (Bloomingdale's) and The May Department Stores Company (Lord & Taylor, Marshall Field's), here at the Triple-O we've been closely monitoring the Federated-May merger and the impact it will have on the mall and beyond.

With the merger pretty much finalized, as expected Federated announced this week that it is converting 10 individual May department store brands to the Macy's brand by fall 2006, resulting in Macy's bumping up to 730 stores across the country. Fortunately for us here in Chicago, that number does not include Marshall Field's at this time. Federated mentioned that they won't be converting Lord & Taylor to Macy's (as previously speculated by many back in June). The decision on the future of Marshall Field's won't be decided until "before Christmas." The company will also be closing 68 stores, while looking at converting others to Bloomingdale's.

The fact that Federated is keeping the Lord & Taylor brand rather concerns me, as that seems to be an outlier for them, somewhat hurting their "two nationwide brands" concept. Would they want another oddball brand in Marshall Field's as well? According to the Chicago Sun-Times, many are speculating that Field's may remain in name-only at the State Street location, while the other stores in the chain make the Macy's move. I guess we just continue to wait and hope they keep it Field's!

So, which chains lost their individual history and will now be assimilated by the Macy's Borg?

Famous-Barr (MI, IL, IN, KY)
David May started what became The May Department Stores in 1877. By 1892, his company acquired The Famous Clothing Store in St. Louis. Later, in 1913, he acquired the William Barr Dry Goods Company (founded 1849) and combined it with his other stores to become Famous-Barr. Thus, this Midwest chain has always been a part of The May Department Stores Company.



Filene's (CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT)
Boston-based chain, and as such, lots of stores in the Northeast. Founded by William Filene in 1849. Despite similar names, not affiliated with Filene's Basement. Acquired by May from Federated in 1988. And the cycle continues.



Foley's (CO, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Primarily a southwestern store chain, it was originally founded as a Houston, TX, dry goods store in 1900 by the Foley brothers. Federated ended up owning Foley's, but sold them to May in 1988. Now they have them again.



Hecht's (DC, MD, NJ, NC, PA, TN, VA)
Founded in 1857 by Samuel Hecht, Jr. based in the New England area. Stores are primarily located in the East with an HQ in Washington, DC. Acquired by May in 1959. Contains previously acquired stores of Thalhimer's, Hess's, Wanamaker's, Woodward & Lothrop, and Strawbridge and Clothier.



Kaufmann's (NY, PA, OH, WV)
Founded in Pittsburgh in 1871, now based out of Boston. Located primarily in the northeastern part of the US. Acquired by May in 1946.



L.S. Ayres (IN)
Lyman S. Ayres purchased a dry good store in downtown Indianapolis, IN, back in 1872. The L.S. Ayres Tea Room, which operated at the downtown department store from 1905 to 1990, served a clientele of fashionable shoppers in a formal setting. Acquired by May in 1986.



Meier & Frank (OR, UT, WA)
Formed by a partnership between Aaron Meier and Emil Frank in 1873 in Oregon. A Pacific Northwest chain of stores. After a bitter battle between the two surviving families, the company was sold to May in 1966. A 2002 purchase of Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution increased the chain's size.



Robinsons-May (AZ, CA, NV)
May's department stores merged with J. W. Robinsons of Los Angeles in 1993 to create this brand, based on the West Coast. The first May stores in the area opened back in 1923.



Strawbridge's (DE, NJ, PA)
A northeastern US chain founded by Quakers Justus Clayton Strawbridge and Issac Hallowell Clothier in Philadelphia in 1862. Flagship is still based in downtown Philly. Acquired by May in 1996.



The Jones Store (KS, MO)
Department store founded in Kansas in 1887 by founder J. Logan Jones, a guy who was born in a wigwam on an Indian reservation. Moved his Stafford, KS, store called the Cyclone to Kansas City, KS, and The Jones Dry Goods Company. Acquired by May in 1996.

Federated, you suck.

10 chains renamed Macy's, Field's stands for now
July 29, 2005
BY SANDRA GUY Business Reporter

Marshall Field's got a reprieve Thursday from a name change -- but customers will know by Christmas whether they will be shopping under a holiday tree at Macy's in 2006.

"We're going to get it done before Christmas this year," said Terry Lundgren, CEO of Federated Department Stores, which will take ownership of Field's this fall. "We're going to take our time and make sure when we make our decision, it's the right one."

On Thursday, Federated announced it is converting 10 department store banners to the Macy's nameplate in fall 2006, boosting Macy's nationwide presence to 730 stores.

The announcement leaves Field's and Lord & Taylor as the only two department-store chains being acquired by Federated whose futures are unknown.

Federated has been conducting surveys of shoppers, many with memories of Field's ornate clock and holiday windows, about a name change.

Insiders speculate that Federated may keep Field's name on the State Street flagship, and operate it as a destination store.

Asked about the possibility, Lundgren said, "It's speculation. It's a great store."

Is Federated playing politics with the Field's name?

One analyst thinks so.

"To be honest, it's all about the Field's store on State Street. There is a lot of political pressure not to convert it [to Macy's]," said Lois Huff, senior vice president of Retail Forward, a Columbus, Ohio-based retail strategy consulting firm.

Lundgren denied politics is playing a role.

"We're not going to make a move until we think it through and do the right thing by reviewing customer research," said Lundgren, who works out of Federated's offices in Manhattan.

Federated, which owns Macy's and Bloomingdale's, will acquire Field's, Lord & Taylor and the 10 other regional department-store chains after its $11 billion buyout of May Department Stores is completed sometime between Aug. 1 and Nov. 1.

The number of stores being converted to Macy's -- 330 -- represents about two thirds of May's 487 department stores.

The Lord & Taylor department-store chain will escape the Macy's conversion, but its fate is a matter of heated speculation.

Federated is studying whether a small number of unidentified stores should be renamed Bloomingdale's, and some analysts believe Lord & Taylor's highest-income stores could become Bloomingdale's.

Deborah Weinswig, an analyst at Citigroup Smith Barney, has speculated that Federated could sell Lord & Taylor's flagship store in New York for $384 million.

Lundgren said Thursday that Federated will have no information about Lord & Taylor until after its buyout of May is complete. At that time, Federated must decide how Lord & Taylor is executing its recent overhaul to upscale fashions and improved merchandising.

Before Cincinnati-based Federated makes any moves, its buyout of St. Louis-based May must win antitrust regulators' approval.

Analysts had speculated that Federated and May would be forced to sell up to 100 stores to keep from dominating the anchor stores in shopping malls nationwide.

Federated, based in Cincinnati, announced Thursday it will close 68 regional department stores in 66 malls where its anchor stores overlap those owned by May. Federated owns 27 of the stores in 14 states, and May owns 41 in 12 states. Most of the closings will occur in California, Pennsylvania and the Northeast. The closed stores accounted for $2 billion in sales last year.

Lundgren said he doesn't anticipate any more store closings.

Lundgren has cited customer research for expanding the Macy's brand, but experts say making Macy's a national name is a wise business move.

Macy's needs stores in Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis to give it a presence in the Midwest's biggest markets.

Macy's expansion would make it easier and more efficient for Federated to advertise, manage inventory, buy merchandise from vendors and plan product assortments -- all important ingredients in staying profitable in a retail world filled with rivals ranging from Nordstrom to J.C. Penney to specialty boutiques, retail experts said Thursday.

It would be difficult to make Field's or Lord & Taylor national brands because of their small sizes and limited reach, the experts said.

Field's has 60 stores in the Midwest and Great Plains, and Lord & Taylor will have 54 stores scattered throughout the Midwest and Northeast after May divests three stores scheduled for closing.

"You can't live with these tiny little sub-brands any more. It's not cost-effective," said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a research consulting firm based in New York.

Field's also would have trouble holding its own between middle-class Macy's and upper-class Bloomingdale's, said Huff of Retail Forward.

"Macy's is moving up-market with higher-quality goods and distinct product lines. Is it going to be any different than a Field's?" Huff said.

Even diehards' efforts to save the Field's name may not be enough.

"The core of fanatics is too small to make a difference," Passikoff said. "They're not enough to make a company profitable."

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Posted by Tannerman at 05:07 PM

July 21, 2005

Work continues on Forth & Towne

They're still hard at work on the new Forth & Towne location down by The Promenade. The other day we noticed that the windows found in the clock tower weren't covered, showing HVAC equipment. We don't know if this is part of the Forth & Towne space or not. It's still not certain if the new Gap-owned chain will use both floors of the previous Z Gallerie space. There is visible work happening on the 2nd level. 1st level construction is hidden by construction walls.

Posted by Tannerman at 02:26 PM

Relocation: Disney Store

Not too long after The Bombay Company moved out of their location on The Park, a sign went up in the window stating that the Disney Store would be relocating from Pear Lane to the old Bombay spot. Interesting, indeed! No timeframe was given.

As a follower of the business side of Disney, I'm guessing that this is a move to put the Disney Store into a spot with less square footage, thus saving on rent. Not too long ago, Disney sold their struggling retail chain to The Children's Place to run under a licensing agreement. Perhaps this is a reflection of the new strategy. The Disney Store is a shallow reflection of what it once was, so I'm not hopeful either way. Stupid Michael Ei$ner!

Posted by Tannerman at 02:13 PM

Renovation: United Colors of Benetton

The United Colors of Benetton store found on Pear Lane has closed for rennovation. In the meantime, a temporary location has been setup on Vacancy Alley (officially known as The Promenade). Looks like the rennovated store will reopen in the fall (where it will join its parent company stablemate, Sisley).

Posted by Tannerman at 01:46 PM

Closed: The Bombay Company

Over in The Park, we've got another vacancy. The Bombay Company closed a few months back. It seems like it was struggling quite a bit there. Over time you saw rebranding from "The Bombay Company" to simply just "Bombay".

To keep things on track, they seemed to be moving beyond just furniture to move into stuff like candles, fragrances, etc. In other words, going after the same market you'd find at say Pottery Barn. Apparently in Old Orchard's case, that wasn't working for this location.

Temporary displays have moved into the windows of the Bombay location, promoting something called Eclectic Junction and Pull-A-Switch. Actually, we've seen these two window displays elsewhere at the mall, used to fill-in for vacant stores.

Seems like they sell interesting jewelry and really odd wall switch plates for your home. Hey, whatever works! Just an FYI, malls will often lease out vacant window space to existing tenants or outside folks looking for promotion... plus, it keeps the mall from looking barren and often provides additional revenue.

Posted by Tannerman at 12:44 PM

Now Open: Foot Locker

The new Foot Locker located over in The Vineyard is now open, next to the new PacSun. Combined, both of these stores replace the old Record Town/Sunday Matinee which was vacated earlier this year.

Posted by Tannerman at 12:24 PM

Gloria Jeans out; Ethel's in

Over the years, one of our favorite places to visit while at Old Orchard was Gloria Jeans, located on Pear Lane. Now, I don't drink coffee, but my wife does, and compared to the other coffee offerings at the mall (mainly Starbucks), Gloria Jeans was the better option. I did get my fair share of steamed milk items, however.

Unfortunately, like many other retailers, Gloria Jeans pulled out of Old Orchard after their 10 year lease was up, resulting in the store closing a few months ago. We were saddened by this. Soon construction walls went up around the space with no mention of what was on the drawing board.

Our last look inside before closing

However, it appears a replacement is now in sight. We're getting an Ethel's Chocolate Lounge at Old Orchard! What's this all about? I'll let the Wall Street Journal explain this new concept owned by Mars, Inc.:

A place for cocoa nuts: Mars opens chocolate cafe
Friday, July 15, 2005
By Amy Chozick, The Wall Street Journal

At Ethel's Chocolate Lounge... couples and families relax on plush pastel-colored furniture, eating champagne chocolates and sipping mocha drinks. Behind a glass pane, espresso, pina colada and honey-flavored truffles sell for about $42 a pound. A sign reads "Chocolate is the New Black."

More precisely, Mars Inc., the closely held candy giant behind Ethel's (named after the late matriarch of Mars), is betting that chocolate is the new coffee. Decorated with pink-and-brown striped wallpaper and whimsical lighting, the new chain is Mars's attempt to make lingering over a plate of premium chocolates in a cafe space as mainstream as drinking a morning latte at Starbucks. For a company best known for making mass-market products like Twix and Snickers bars, this means transforming a lowly commodity into a high-price luxury.

Coming Soon: Ethel's Chocolate Lounge

...The $14.5 billion U.S. chocolate industry could use a shot of espresso. Dominated by decades-old products like Hershey bars and M&M's, the industry has posted annual sales increases of less than 3 percent from 2002 to 2004, reports the National Confectioners Association, an industry trade group. Meanwhile, sales at upscale coffee and cocoa stores (a category that includes Godiva as well as sit-down spots like Starbucks) rose 20.6 percent in the same period.

...The chocolate lounge dates back to 17th-century London, about a century after cocoa was brought to Europe from Latin America. Designed or the elite, European chocolate houses offered comfortable seating where the upper crust could socialize while drinking hot chocolate. Today, chocolate is still consumed in Europe more regularly than it is in the U.S., where consumers and manufactures have a more populist approach to it.

By the end of the summer, Mars expects to have 6 locations open in the Chicago area, including the one at Old Orchard (slated for an August opening).

Old Orchard already has an upscale chocolate store (Godiva), but it's not really built for lounging. It should be interesting to see how this battle for overpriced chocolate plays out. If they have a good hot chocolate, I may check them out come this fall!

Posted by Tannerman at 12:04 PM

July 15, 2005

A Magical Night

Like everyone else in the world, Old Orchard is capitalizing on the Harry Potter craze with the release of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. Barnes & Noble will be running a promotion from 9 p.m. to midnight today, featuring activities for those waiting around to pick up the 6th installment in the Harry Potter series at midnight.

Westfield is also offering face painting and stuff in the Food Court and the serpent play area. In addition, the first 250 cusomters to hit the Customer Service booth (oh, I'm sorry, it's a "Concierge Center") will get a free goodie bag containing a crazy treasure map so you can hunt around the center. Not a bad idea for a promo, I must say. That runs from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. tonight.

Posted by Tannerman at 05:10 PM

2005 North Shore Art Festival

The North Shore Art Festival will be held this weekend at the Old Orchard shopping center in north suburban Skokie.
If you don't feel like doing the regular "shop at the mall" thing this weekend, you still might want to hop up to Old Orchard for the 15 annual North Shore Art Festival.

It tales place Saturday, July 16, though Sunday, July 17, and according to the Chicago Sun-Times, "will showcase more than $15 million in work by nearly 150 of the nation's finest artists in a variety of mediums, including life-size sculptures, photography, original hand-crafted jewelry, functional and decorative pottery, ceramics and paintings."

So there you go. Knock yourself out!

Image Source: ArtFestival.com

Posted by Tannerman at 04:10 PM

July 12, 2005

Outside the Orchard - 07.12.05

The Old Orchard Observer presents once again... Outside the Orchard, a brief look at what the online world is saying about Skokie's mall.

Flickr user lay-c dot com posts this photo and this photo, highlighting the fountain located in the Fountain Court section of Old Orchard.

On the Dianatics blog, an interesting analysis is made regarding "Mall Mice", using Old Orchard as an example: [Saturday, June 11]:

My guess is we're switch hitters in our membership at the mall. We've been the field trip leaders who planned to go there for something new for the wedding, shirts for work or Aunt Zelda's birthday present next month. Most likely we've also been the tag-alongs — by volunteerism or having been cajoled into the trip, perhaps with the mythical promise that it'll be fun.

Observed on a recent Saturday at Old Orchard was a classic study in a mall goer and go-along.

He: Are you looking for nice shoes or casual shoes? These are good. He holds up a pair red flats.
She: I'm just looking for shoes.

He: Moving to a chair where he can see her through the racks of shoes... What size do you wear?
She: 7 to 7 1/2.

He: Noticing she's in the size 6 to 6 1/2 section... You're looking at the wrong shoes. These are the wrong shoes.
She: More annoyed... They're all mixed up. You just have to look.

Carolyn Moncel chimes in all the way from Paris, France, where she is adjusting to living. She writes in in Tales from the Seine [Monday, June 27]:

Now, here's what I don't get and no one yet has been able to give me a straight answer. Why are there only store sales roughly four times per year? ...In the US, if a store decides to put their inventory on sale, they just do it. They don't need what appears to be the government's approval to do it.

Chuck Berry sings "I'm so glad I'm living in the USA," and when it comes to shopping, it has become my anthem. That's because it's true when he says "Anything you want we got it right here in the US of A." When I get back home for vacation, I'm going shopping at Old Orchard, River Oaks, Orland Square, the Mag Mile or someplace. What's more, I just might kiss the ground in the process!

Over on The Savvy Traveler, it seems like biking has become hazardous for the author [Friday, July 1]:

...yesterday I went on this long bike ride to Glenview to get immunizations shots for typhoid and craziness, but i ended up on this highway, where there was no bike path. ...alas! about 3/4 of the way back my bike got stuck on a tree branch (a la nature reserve) and it broke, just like that. haha. now this seems funny but at the time i was wicked pissah. so i walked a bit, and got a cab ride from old orchard. ah well, i think i'm gonna have to go to the evanston hospital for the immunizations and malaria medication.

Reading Putting Power In Their Hands, it's argued that Dad's aren't too bright when it comes to shopping at Crate & Barrel [Wednesday, July 6]:

...we took our shopping skills to the suburbs as we tore through Old Orchard Mall. Mom and I got all sneaky on Brian and bought him new glassware that was on sale at Crate and Barrel before he had a chance. It was Mom's idea I swear. We tried to get Dad in on the plot to occupy Brian while we stood in line but Dad's not always bright in that area. He just kind of looked at us and smiled as Brian walked right up behind him. We made the two of them leave together and after our purchase, found them sitting and chatting in front of a flowerbed.

The folks over at life (over IP) are one of the few to write the full official name of Old Orchard in a blog post [Wednesday, July 6]:

I also decided to walk back from work tonight, a nice 20-minute walk. Every little bit helps. The Westfield Shoppingtown Old Orchard is right near the hotel, so I stopped in at the Apple Store, and grabbed a bite at the Cheesecake Factory. It's amazing that a open-air mall like this could exist in a cold-weather area like Chicago.

In this blog (Caution: NSFW) blog, author poiesia shares "100 factoids about me," including [Monday, June 27]:

74. I no longer like Old Orchard.

Evan writes in draykopf about being Jewish and shopping in the 'burbs [Thursday, July 7]:

Today I was shopping at Lowes in Lincolnwood. For those of you unfamiliar with this Chicago suburb, it is roughly in between two HUGE Jewish neighborhoods. At the blinds section, I found myself standing in line behind a nice woman and her two children - both wearing shorts and ratty t-shirts with dirty kippot and tzit tzit dangling. 20 minutes later, as I walk out of the paint aisle, I nearly run into a man pushing a cart and talking on his cell phone (don't you need an ear piece for this?) - he is wearing black pants, a white dress shirt a long beard and a kippah.

After that, I end up at Old Orchard in Skokie where after lunch at a place called "The Bagel" I found myself sitting in a sunny spot while waiting for my wife, and reading the July edition of the World Jewish Digest, which, by the way, has a couple of great articles about Jewish blogging.

Finally, Crain's Chicago Business featured an article about the Midwest losing jobs in the month of June, specifically [Wednesday, July 6]:

Illinois ranked second in the number of jobs lost in the Midwest in June, while employment cuts on the national level reached a 17-month high at a time of year when downsizing activity is typically slow, according to a report released today.

...In the retail sector, home decorating store The Great Indoors made significant cuts as did local branches of department store operator Saks Inc.... Both announced store closures in suburban Chicago, with the home decorator closing its Deerfield branch and Saks saying it would shut its high-end Saks Fifth Avenue store and its connected discount outlet at Skokie's Old Orchard mall.

Posted by Tannerman at 01:18 PM

July 08, 2005

History: Venture Stores

We've previously discussed both the future of the Marshall Field's name in Chicago, as well as its presence at Old Orchard. When the merger of The May Company with Federated Department Stores is finalized, many feel that Marshall Field's will be renamed as Macy's. What's ironic in all this is that the very company that sold out to Federated, The May Company, actually may have put the nail in Marshall Field's coffin way back in 1970. Well, at least indirectly via a division called Venture Stores.

You see, back in the 1960's, the big department stores were looking at launching divisions that targeted the discount store market. They figured why not try to target all these different demographics and reap the profits of everyone. Thus, in 1962, Dayton (which today after many acquisitions and name changes is known as the Target Corporation) launched Target. In response, and to hop on this trend, the May Company launched Venture in 1970 as a "family value retailer." Stores were primarily located in the Midwest.

Growing up in Chicago, of course I remember Venture. Their buildings were shaped much like a Kmart, with a distinctive black/white stripped design over the entryway. There was actually a Venture within walking distance of my boyhood home, so I spent a lot of time there before learning how to drive and shop elsewhere.

As the retail story continues, The May Company purchased Associated Dry Good (ADG), owner of Caldor. Both Venture and Caldor operated as discount chains that featured style, which made sense given their department store heritage. Eventually, The May Company spun off Venture and Caldor in 1990. Unfortunately, having to compete with Wal-mart, Kmart, and Target, both chain's sales decreased quickly.

By 1996, Venture tried to relaunch itself as a value-oriented store, in addition to creating a Venture Dollar chain. However, that didn't help. The next year, Venture sold off many of its stores to Kmart (including the one I grew up with). Finally, in 1998, Venture filed for bankruptcy. Kmart purchased more stores from Venture and that was pretty much the end of the chain.

The ironic part of all this is that The May Company currently owns Marshall Field's. Field's was once part of Target, which was a big competitor to Venture, created by May. Thus, May's failed attempt to make Venture work allowed Target to grow and eventually mishandle the Marshall Field's brand, dumping it on May. In turn, now May is merging with Federated in what may be the final death blow to Field's.

The retail world sure is crazy sometimes!

Posted by Tannerman at 02:16 PM

July 01, 2005

Celebration at The Cheesecake Factory

Over on Flickr, user elliterate has uploaded a set of photos that appear to be a pre-graduation lunch of some sort, taken June 17. The setting for the photos? The Cheesecake Factory, located on the 2nd floor at the north end of Old Orchard, in The Promenade. The official description reads, "Pre-emptive celebration at The Cheesecake Factory with Brandon and his family." Check out this nice shot of the Westfield sign through the glass.

Posted by Tannerman at 03:31 PM

June 29, 2005

Now Open: Tiger Lily Boutique

It's not often that you can report on a store actually OPENING in The Promenade section of Old Orchard. That area is full of vacant stores for some reason. It's often used by management to hold seasonal locations or temporary stores when the there is a remodel. Recently we noticed the Tiger Lily Boutique which opened across from the children's play area (near Bloomingdale's).

It appears it's a clothing chain that is based out of Madison, WI, as evidenced by various bags they had displayed in the windows with other location addresses. They haven't done much to renovate the store, so I have to wonder if this is also a short-term lease. The space in question has been vacant for well over a year. The clothing looks like it would be targeted more at junior high, high school, and maybe college age. I'm not fashion expert, so don't quote me on that. The fact that there were actually people INSIDE the store shopping was a good sign.

Posted by Tannerman at 06:17 PM

Now Open (again): Sunglass Hut

Remember back in May when we asked the question, "Why are there 2 Sunglass Huts?" At the time, there was a stand-alone location on the north side of Pear Lane and a Sunglass Hut/Watch Station combination store on the south side of Pear Lane. We witnessed the stand-alone location being demolished.

Well, it looks like that location was actually undergoing a renovation rather than a removal. The next day a white construction wall was put up. A few days later, there was a sign noting that the store was "Closed for Remodel". Then, shortly after that, the store was reopened as Sunglass Hut once again. And frankly, the front of the store looks very similar to the old store. Maybe the interior is different; I can't really tell. At the time of demolition, it looked like they were ripping everything apart, so I'm impressed with how quickly the store reopened.

Posted by Tannerman at 06:05 PM

Renovation: Papyrus

The Papyrus store located on Pear Lane is walled off for renovation these days. In the meantime, they've got a temporary location over in Vacancy Alley (The Promenade). Papyrus is the retail division of Schurman Fine Papers, "one of the finest organizations in the social expression industry." I didn't realize that there was a "social expression industry." Apparently that's more fancy that "paper and greeting card crap industry."

Posted by Tannerman at 05:52 PM

Sara Lee closes all 11 Inner Self stores

I bet you didn't know that Sara Lee owned a retail store concept designed to take on Victoria's Secret. It's true, and was called Inner Self, "a special intimate apparel/loungewear retail environment and experience that pampers, relaxes and soothes." Not that it matters, as Sara Lee has closed all 11 of these concept stores. They want to focus on the other brands they own (such as Playtex, Wonderbra, Hanes, and Champion -- nobody doesn't like Sara Lee!)

Frankly, they had to be a little crazy to think they could battle Victoria's Secret in this space. Sure, they tried to modify their target audience, going after a niche in the women 25-55 category, average dress size of 12. At the time, Sara Lee attempted to "provide an alternative to the often-unattainable, sexy ideal promoted by Victoria's Secret, and declining service at department stores."

Nevertheless, the chain is dead, and now there is a vacancy in the Fountain Court section of Old Orchard. We never saw people actually in that store, which only seemed to be around for a little longer than a year. In fact, when it first opened, it had to close for a few days due to a water leak. Telling signs of what was to come.

Posted by Tannerman at 05:43 PM

Coming Soon: Sisley

According to their website (which is rather risqué), "Sisley features men and women's collections whose basic objective is to be always on the same wavelength as those who follow fashion and keep themselves abreast of the trendiest tendencies. The collections, in fact, include sporty and casual wear, formal and elegant dresses - therefore an all-round offering for every moment of the day and for various needs."

Um, OK. They are owned by the Benetton Group (you know, the United Colors of Benetton folks) and are "the Group's most trend-setting brand, at the forefront of fashion." As Old Orchard already has a United Colors of Benetton store (located on Pear Lane), Sisley makes sense as a new addition. Look for it soon down in The Garden.

Posted by Tannerman at 05:22 PM

Coming Soon: Misako

Misako is a Spanish retailer that specializes in "affordable chic" cloth handbags selling for around $32 each, regardless of size or style. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, "Misako's selection of handbags, which make up 85 percent of the merchandise, will change rapidly as new collections rotate into the shops, generating repeat visits."

You'll be able to check this place out for yourself once it opens in The Park section of Old Orchard. This seems like the second "value" addition in recent months to Old Orchard's retail mix (the other being costume jewelry store Landau). I wonder if this is a strategic move by Westfield or just a situation where they are just glad to have a paying tenant! Oddly, Misako doesn't have a website.

Posted by Tannerman at 05:06 PM

From one snooty jewerly store to another

Over in The Park section of Old Orchard, we've recently seen the exit of jewelers Christian Bernard, which had a prominent corner location on the edge of The Park and Hawthorne Way. I remember when my wife and I were shopping for wedding rings, we stopped into this store and did not have a good experience at all. So I don't shed any tears.

However, it appears that we're getting another jeweler in the same space. This time around it's Helzberg Diamonds (formerly known by the more tacky "Jewerly3" name). Oh joy. We also stopped at one of these stores in search of wedding rings. They tried to amaze us with this one diamond by taking us into the "steaming room" to see how reflective it was once it was steam cleaned. And they gave us free coffee. But beyond that, it was a joke. We ended up buying our rings at a local jeweler and have been very happy ever since.

Anyway, like Rogers & Hollands when it was under construction, Helzberg Diamonds has artwork on their construction barricades that tries to tie together the concept of "jewelry" and "carpentry". Yeah, I don't get it either, but it's a cute attempt nevertheless.

Posted by Tannerman at 04:56 PM

Coming Soon: Foot Locker

With the exit of Record Town/Sunday Matinee in The Vineyard, their space was divided into two smaller stores. The Old Orchard Observer has already covered the first tenant in the western half of the space (PacSun's new location).

We're proud to announce that the eastern half of the space will be occupied by Foot Locker. This is an interesting move, as the mall just saw the exit of Lady Foot Locker and soon will see the entrance of NikeWoman. There is already a Finish Line store located on the other side of the mall. The new Foot Locker will be situated near Theaters 7-12, Maggiano's Little Italy, and Barnes & Noble. Interesting neighbors, to say the least. Perhaps they are hoping for the youth traffic spurred by the movie theater.

Posted by Tannerman at 04:42 PM

Crabtree & Evelyn is moving

It looks like Crabtree & Evelyn may be positioning for a higher traffic spot in Old Orchard, as they've announced that their moving from Fountain Court to The Park. This is near a primary entrance to the mall as well as the theaters, so I would imagine that you'll see more folks around this area when compared to their previous location. In the meantime, their old location has closed and they have a temporary spot in Vacancy Alley, my nickname for The Promenade. No official word has been given regarding when their new space will open.

Posted by Tannerman at 04:31 PM

Now Open: Lacoste

The Croc has ripped through those temporary barricades and opened! It's situated in a pretty cozy location in The Garden (next to the new Rogers & Hollands, maybe even in their old location), one of my more favorite "off the main path" parts of Old Orchard. Hopefully this tucked-away location will provide them enough food traffic to succeed.

Posted by Tannerman at 04:13 PM

Now Open: Landau

It's time for an update on the fake jewelry folks at Landau. Their new store is now open on the corner of Pear Lane and Fountain Court, located right next to Clarks, a shoe retailer. The store seems, well, out of place if you ask me. I also think they aren't taking advantage of their window space very well. Perhaps that will change as they get operations going. We'll see. With Clarks and Landau open, there is only one more store on this corner that needs to shed the construction walls: H2O Plus.

Posted by Tannerman at 04:07 PM

Now Open: Liberty Travel

The construction walls are gone! Liberty Travel recently opened up their new story, located on Hawthorne Way. Frankly, it's a bland looking store that doesn't seem to have much design or class at all. It sort of looks like a Kinko's or UPS Store, as a matter of fact. Probably the only redeeming quality of the location is that there was a Disneyland 50th Anniversary poster in the window when we walked by. It's situated right next to Potbelly's and the movie theatre... I wouldn't think a very prime location for a travel agency. Go figure.

Posted by Tannerman at 03:59 PM

Forth & Towne coming to Old Orchard

Back in May, we at the Observer discussed the possibility of Old Orchard being a test site for one of Gap's new store concepts, Forth & Towne. Well guess what? We were right!

Forth & Towne coming in the fall!

A few months ago, Z Gallerie vacated their two-story store located in The Promenade, right next to the soon-to-be-closed Saks Fifth Avenue. Shortly thereafter, construction walls went up, but no mention was made regarding a replacement. We speculated regarding what would replace this store and whether or not it would take up all the square footage on both floors or if it would be subdivided.

Z Gallerie closes shop

Blank construction walls

Not too long after, a listing on HotJobs.com [thanks Chicagoist!] revealed that the four locations slated for Illinois were Old Orchard, Woodfield (Schaumburg, IL), Fox Valley (Aurora, IL -- and another Westfield zombie), and Algonquin Commons (Algonquin, IL).

We then saw officially labeling on the walls at Old Orchard, formally announcing that Forth & Towne would be arriving in the fall. What's interesting is that Gap still hasn't launched a website destination for this new concept (however they have reserved "forthandtowne.com", so I guess that will be coming soon).

See you in the fall

Really obscure prose to describe the store

GapInc.com, not ForthAndTowne.com

Construction dumpster behind store

What remains to be seen is whether Forth & Towne will occupy both floors of the old Z Gallerie space. It does appear that they are doing demolition/construction work to both parts at the same time, so my gut is yes. Keep it tuned right here on the Old Orchard Observer for future developments!

Posted by Tannerman at 03:49 PM