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

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

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

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)

November 01, 2005

Carson's name to stay in Chicago

As previously reported, Carson's has a new owner. Thankfully, according to this report by the Chicago Sun-Times, the name won't be changing anytime soon.

What about the name?
November 1, 2005
BY SANDRA GUY

Chicagoans, still reeling from Federated Department Stores' impending change of Marshall Field's name to Macy's, can breathe easy about the future of Carson Pirie Scott & Co.'s name.

Carson's will remain Carson's, Bon-Ton CEO and President Bud Bergren told the Sun-Times.

"We think Carson's is a very good franchise, and has a lot of equity," Bergren said.

He added that he thinks it's "a shame" that Marshall Field's will become Macy's in 2006.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Posted by Tannerman at 03:00 PM

October 31, 2005

Carson's finds a new owner

Even thouugh Saks Fifth Avenue has closed at Old Orchard, their parent company is still making news... namely with the selloff of another Chicago brand name, Carson Pirie Scott. Now, I know Carson's has had lame Christmas windows on State Street the past couple of years, but here's hoping that their new owner, Bon-Ton Stores Inc., keeps the name alive in Chicago (unlike some other lame companies). Reuters has an article about the purchase:

Saks sells Carson Pirie Scott to Bon-Ton Stores
October 31, 2005
Reuters

The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. said on Monday it agreed to buy 142 stores from Saks Inc. for $1.1 billion in cash, making it one of the largest regional department store retailers in the United States.

The deal involves 142 Saks department stores that operate under the Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Herberger's and Younkers monikers. The purchase will more than double the size of Bon-Ton, which currently has 139 department stores in the Northeast and Midwest.

Bon-Ton shares jumped about 27 percent to $21.19 on Nasdaq on news it clinched the deal for a lower price than the $1.5 billion Saks had originally demanded, traders said.

"The transaction solidifies and strengthens our position in the Midwest and extends our footprint into the Great Plains states," he said.

Saks' Northern Department Store group generated $2.2 billion in sales last year or about one-third of the retailer's total sales. In April, Saks sold its Proffitt's and McRae's chains to Belk Inc. for $622 million.

Luxury retailers have reported strong results in recent quarters as a booming housing market helps to lift spending among high-income consumers. But Saks largely missed out on the bonanza amid a probe into accounting that led to the ouster of three top executives.

Saks restated last year's results after the internal investigation found that the retailer had improperly collected discounts from vendors known as "markdown allowances."

Once the Northern Department Store unit is sold, Saks will be left operating its main, luxury department store chains Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises with 105 stores, its Parisian chain with 40 stores, and Club Libby Lu with 56 stores.

Saks said on Monday it continues to explore options for Club Libby Lu, which offers makeover and dress-up parties for girls. The chain has received buyout interest from Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc., Too Inc., and Claire's Stores Inc., according to media reports. Those retailers have declined to comment.

Birmingham, Alabama-based Saks said it will have received more than $1.7 billion in cash from the divestitures of the two department store units. With a stronger balance sheet and expectations for improved performance its Saks Fifth Avenue and Parisian businesses, Saks said it may use some the proceeds from the Northern Department Stores for share-buybacks, a special cash dividend, or both.

Saks shares were up 10.3 percent, or $1,72, at $18.38 on the New York Stock Exchange on the news of the dividends, traders said. Saks' stock trades at about 26 times Wall Street analysts' profit forecasts for next year, buoyed by expectation of the unit sales, compared with 17 times earnings for luxury retailer Nordstrom Inc.

The deal with Bon-Ton, which was approved by both companies' boards, is expected to close early in the first fiscal quarter of 2006. Bon-Ton said it expected the purchase to add to its earnings immediately after completion, with cost-cuts starting in 2006 and reaching at least $33 million by 2008.

The deal is subject to certain conditions, including Bon-Ton's financing for the transaction. Bank of America, N.A. has executed a commitment letter with Bon-Ton to provide for the financing of the transaction.

Lazard was Bon-Ton's financial adviser on the deal, while Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen served as its legal adviser. Goldman Sachs & Co. and Citigroup advised Saks.

Source: Reuters

Posted by Tannerman at 05:08 PM

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

September 29, 2005

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

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 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

June 29, 2005

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!

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.

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).

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

June 27, 2005

Outside the Orchard - 06.27.05

Every now and then, I like to see what other blogs are writing about in reference to Old Orchard. Outside the Orchard is a recurring feature that takes a look at this online conversation! We keep tabs on Old Orchard conversation... because no one else is crazy enough to!

Like myself, Doodlehead doesn't like Old Orchard's Westfieldized name [Sunday, May 8]:

This morning I stopped by the Apple Store at Westfield Shoppingtown's Old Orchard (I say the full name since it displeases me so)...

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg offered his take on the news that Old Orchard was looking at expanding [Wednesday, June 8]:

For your shopping convenience

Old Orchard is expanding? It's not big enough? As anyone who has ever gone to the massive outdoor mall in Skokie -- or tried to -- knows the place is enormous already, sprawling and jammed with customers. You'd think they were giving stuff away, as opposed to charging for it.

Hence, I suppose, the expansion. Some days the parking lot is completely filled.

To be fair, Old Orchard does have the benefit of being outdoors -- you don't get that suffocating, get-me-outta-here feeling that can come over you after too long in an enclosed mall, a condition I call "mall burn." Still, you can't look at the packs of disaffected teens drifting through it on a Friday night, for want of anything better to do, and not wonder what our country has come to.

This, of course, generated feedback in the blogosphere, such as this post over at Mental Multivitamin [Wednesday, June 8]:

Ayup.

Reminds me of a mall story and a recommendation.

The Old Orchard expansion story has prompted many folks to more seriously compare Woodfield (the largest mall in Chicagoland) with our Skokie outdoor shopping center. In many cases, such as on Blob Dog Attacks Geordi, there is no comparision [Tuesday, June 7]:

I hate Woodfield. While it has a great Apple Store (the first in Chicagoland) among other stores, I can't stand Woodfield. Perhaps I was too spoiled when I lived near the more generally upscale Old Orchard and Northbrook Court, but I hate that Woodfield is the closest mall to me now... Now, I read that Old Orchard and other malls are contemplating facelifts with nary a mention of Woodfield. This mall I'm stuck with might be in its current state for a long time.

I've never seen the movie Mean Girls, but apparently LiveJournal user hyperfocused has. She writes in her blog The Occasional Poet Dreams of Stardom [Sunday, June 5]:

Watched Mean Girls for the first time today. I hadn't realized it was set on the North Shore, more specifically at Evanston Township High... The mentions of Old Orchard Mall and Walker Brothers pancakes had me feeling nostalgic for my youth, though the movie itself made me damn glad I was 37 not 17.

Speaking of LiveJournal, user rebel_prince15 writes in his blog about the hunt for a piece of furniture [Saturday, June 4]:

Water Tower Place had more stores in it. C bought a FOM pillow he saw and I wanted the puzzle cube ottoman at Old Orchard. It's $375, maybe someday I can buy it. Ha!

Amy and I wondered where you could buy a puzzle cube ottoman up at Old Orchard. I'm thinking either Pottery Barn or one of the anchor stores. Who knows?

So, as you can see, I'm not the only weirdo who writes about Old Orchard out there!

Posted by Tannerman at 06:43 PM | Comments (0)

June 06, 2005

Proposed Expansion: Old Orchard Goes Lifestyle

Here at the Old Orchard Observer, we've talked about consolidation in the retail industry, especially as it pertains to mall anchors. With Marshall Field's being acquired by Federated, 3 out of 5 anchors at Old Orchard will be owned by the same company. Then just last week it was announced that Saks Inc. would be closing the Saks Fifth Avenue store at the mall, resulting in another unknown for Old Orchard Center. In short, anchors are going to be lost. So what do you do instead?

Traditionally, large malls have been built on the assumption that anchors draw you to the center. Hence the label, "anchor." Often, the appeal of a mall has been built on what anchor stores are present. From a business perspective, rent and leasing rates are determined based on the number and size of the anchors in a mall.

But in case you haven't noticed, there aren't enough anchors to go around these days. There is consolidation, like what is taking place with Federated and May. There is a change in strategy, like what you see in Sears moving away from mall-based stores. There is a downsizing and focus on profitable stores, evident in what took place last week with Saks; J. C. Penney is also a good example here. And of course there is the loss of anchors altogether, as in Montgomery Wards and the like.

This has created a void for traditional malls as they try to figure out what to do. Many have chosen to go with somewhat alternative anchors. For example, the mall I used to work at, Randhurst (Mt. Prospect, IL), recently built a Costco as a part of the mall. Here in the city, unique architecture has allowed traditional "all in one stores" stores like Target to serve as anchors.

The growth of big boxes (Wal-Mart, Target, warehouse clubs, etc.) and category killers (Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Home Depot, etc.) has changed the way people shop. It also is changing the world of mall design and planning. Unfortunately, malls are large and heavy on infrastructure... you can't easily change course and reconfigure.

Sometimes there are exceptions, such as Brickyard Mall, a local mall I grew up with here in the city. It was a large, two-story, indoor mall that basically outlived its usefulness. It recently reopened after being completely torn down and rebuilt as The Brickyard, an outdoor center with a mix of big box retailers and specialty stores. So far, it's been quite a success story.

Other local shopping centers are shooting to become lifestyle centers, the big buzzword in retail these days. A lifestyle center is typically an open-air shopping center that doesn't really feature anchors. Instead, the mix of stores comes more from the specialty retail/boutique side of things. Often they are modeled to look like small towns, full of sidewalks, park-like places, and common areas. They don't require as much space as a large indoor mall and they offer convenience to a typically affluent shopper, as they can just park their oversized SUV nearby and quickly shop.

The "lifestyle center" concept was pioneered by Poag & McEwen with the construction of The Shops of Saddle Creek in Germantown, TN, in 1987. My current employer is located near another lifestyle center that recently opened, 500,000 sq. ft. Deer Park Town Center in suburban Chicago.

So what do you do when you are a traditional mall, you are losing anchors, and the trend seems to be towards lifestyle centers? Well, you build a hybrid! Last July, a suburban mall called Yorktown Center (previously the home of Big Idea) announced that they were going to tear down some vacant anchor space (formerly populated by Montgomery Wards) and build a lifestyle center concept called The Shops on Butterfield. Uniquely, this development would actually connect with the existing traditional indoor mall and feature an attached hotel. It will be interesting to see how that plays out, as the new development is set to open in 2006.

Even knowing these trends, I was shocked today when I read the following story in Crain's Chicago Business regarding what may happen to Old Orchard down the road. I guess the concept makes sense when you think about it...

Giant expansion for Old Orchard
Size would rival Woodfield as new vision for regional malls takes shape
June 06, 2005
By Sandra Jones

The owner of Old Orchard shopping center has drawn up plans to bulldoze the Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor spaces there to make way for a Main Street-style shopping promenade — an estimated $100-million expansion that would put the Skokie mall on par with the region's largest, Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg.

Source: Crain's Chicago Business

Owner Westfield Group's proposed site development plan, obtained by Crain's and dated May 20, calls for building 53 new specialty stores and restaurants totaling 650,000 square feet. The plan calls for a string of 24 stores backing up to Skokie Boulevard with trees, walkways and small courtyards modeled after the so-called lifestyle centers that have been drawing shoppers from traditional malls.

That strip would replace parking on the east side of the mall, the most traffic-congested. The surface parking would be eliminated and the parking deck outside Lord & Taylor would be torn down. In its place, a new parking deck would be constructed at the southeast end of the promenade near Golf Road. More specialty retail is proposed on the west and north sides of the mall.

The expansion, if approved as-is, would bring Old Orchard to 2.3 million square feet, an increase of about 25%. Retail experts estimate the cost of the overhaul at more than $100 million.

A spokeswoman for Australia-based Westfield calls the plan "very exploratory," explaining the proposal is a way for Westfield to get "a sense of the marketplace." And it still needs the approval of Skokie village officials and the remaining department store anchors: Nordstrom, Marshall Field's and Bloomingdale's.

Still, the ambitious proposal underlines the problem facing all mall operators these days. Malls like Old Orchard were designed to be anchored by department stores. But the department store industry is shrinking, and shoppers now have fewer reasons to go to the mall.

"The rules of the game have completely changed," says Gerhard Plaschka, managing partner at Chicago-based MindFolio, a consulting firm that studies malls. "You have to break the rules and come up with something that makes customers choose a mall. The old story that anchor stores are the mall magnets isn't true anymore."

AMONG OLDEST MALLS IN U.S.

When Old Orchard opened in 1956, it was one of the first malls in the nation. It led the suburban retail revolution, bringing downtown department stores to the newly constructed neighborhoods that ringed the city. Marshall Field's, Old Orchard's oldest tenant, spearheaded the project and played a key financial role in its construction.

Now, Marshall Field's, which has had a string of owners since the mall was built, is about to be sold for the second time in a year. Federated Department Stores Inc. of Cincinnati agreed earlier this year to buy Field's as part of its $11-billion acquisition of St. Louis-based May Department Stores Co. May purchased Field's from Target Corp. last year.

THREE ANCHORS, ONE OWNER

Once the deal closes, as expected this fall, Federated will own Field's, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor at Old Orchard — three of the four remaining anchors.

Saks Inc. announced in May that it intends to shutter its Saks Fifth Avenue store at Old Orchard in July as part of a move to scale back and reorganize the luxury chain. Federated is expected to shutter the Lord & Taylor store and eventually turn either Field's or Bloomingdale's into Macy's, according to retail sources. The two department stores combined accounted for about 220,000 square feet of retail space and about $30 million in annual sales, retail sources say. Officials with May and Federated decline to comment.

"All the major malls are facing department store consolidation," says John Melaniphy III, vice-president of Melaniphy & Associates, a retail real estate consulting firm in Chicago. "There aren't department stores waiting in the wings (to expand), so malls are looking to specialty stores and restaurants."

A sign of how times have changed in just a decade: Old Orchard's last major renovation in 1995 — under a previous owner, a group led by real estate mogul Sam Zell — hinged on the arrival of two new department stores, Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, to the mall. The $100-million makeover targeted the stroller set with gardens, fountains and outdoor play areas for children.

Today, malls are scrambling to meet fickle shoppers' demands for convenience and entertainment. If either is lacking, they aren't likely to show up, analysts say.

Old Orchard has already begun sprucing up the mall with a new Apple Computer store, which is often crowded. It's also opened harder-to-find specialty stores in the past year including Lacoste, Clarks Shoes and Sigrid Olsen. Soon to debut: NikeWomen.

Still, competition to attract desirable retailers is expected to get tougher as Northbrook Court, another North Shore mall, goes through a similar, but smaller, effort to attract one-of-a-kind stores.

'POSITIVE' ADVANCE REVIEWS

Potential tenants have so far viewed Westfield's preliminary proposal as "positive," says the Westfield spokeswoman. She declines to comment on specifics of the plan. Retail sources familiar with the makeover say it's likely to be complete in 2007.

"This is a great opportunity," says Mr. Plaschka, the mall consultant. "They just need to understand that you have to break the rules. That's the challenge. There is no standard mall mix anymore."

Source: Crain's Chicago Business

Posted by Tannerman at 10:38 PM

June 03, 2005

More on the "Shoppingtown" branding change

Tampa Bay-area (FL) blogger Costa Tsiokos adds more ongoing commentary about Westfield's stupidiy regarding the "Shoppingtown" name via PopulationStatistic.com. Tsiokos references this St. Petersburg Times article from May 8, 2002:

Forget the mall; now it's 'shoppingtown'
By MARK ALBRIGHT and CHRISTINA K. COSDON
May 8, 2002

Three of the Tampa Bay area's largest malls have new Australian owners. Now they're getting new names.

Westfield Group, which this week completed its purchase of Brandon TownCenter, Citrus Park Town Center and Countryside Mall, is adding "shoppingtown" to those names.

"We've called our properties in Australia 'shoppingtowns' since the 1960s," said Stephen Fluhr, general manager of newly renamed Westfield Shoppingtown Brandon. "In Australia, a mall is a shoppingtown."

Work crews this week began sticking the new names on doors and customer service booths at the malls, whose new names include Westfield Shoppingtown Citrus Park and Westfield Shoppingtown Countryside. Eventually pylon signs at mall entrances will be changed to match the rest of the company's portfolio of 61 U.S. malls and shopping centers.

Not everybody's a fan of the new names. "My wife just called and said people are up in arms," said Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst, "The mall is not moving out of Countryside, is it? To me, Countryside Mall is a perfect name. This is a dumb idea."...

The name changes mark the latest attempt by mall owners to use their real estate holdings to promote their corporate brand. The effort spread once the companies became publicly traded stocks.

Simon Property Group of Indianapolis has plastered its name all over the parking lots and doors of its Tyrone Square, Gulf View Square and Crystal River malls. Prime Retail Inc. of Baltimore added the name at its Prime Outlets Ellenton property. Mills Corp. of Arlington, Va., which owns Sawgrass Mills in Broward County, puts its corporate monicker in all of its outlet mall names.

Contrast this with the "about face" that Westfield is doing, noted in this June 1, 2005 St. Petersburg Times article:

If you didn't call them 'shoppingtowns,' don't
By MARK ALBRIGHT, Times Staff Writer
June 1, 2005

Westfield Group has stopped calling its U.S. malls "shoppingtowns."

The Australian developer, which drew a lot of attention with the unusual monicker when the company made landfall in the states three years ago, began phasing it out May 1.

With no fanfare, the owner of three malls in the Tampa Bay area stopped ordering business cards, signs, brochures and other materials that make any reference to "shoppingtown."

"We won't be taking down signs to change the name, you just won't see us putting it on replacements as time goes by," said Catherine Dickey, spokeswoman for the chain. "The name served its purpose."

While rival malls in the market have made "mall" or "plaza" part of their formal name, Westfield did not. So the three local malls now will be called Westfield Citrus Park, Westfield Brandon and Westfield Countryside. "People know they are malls," Dickey said.

Westfield imported the "shoppingtown" label for its U.S. properties from what they are called in Australia. One reason was to send a signal to shoppers that things had changed at their nearby mall. Many shoppers never picked up the hint or ignored it. But Westfield officials are unconcerned that "shoppingtown" never became a household word.

"Shoppingtown is part of our heritage, but Westfield is the brand," Dickey said.

Westfield could have saved themselves a lot of money if they just would have looked at the U.S. market and note that, well, malls are called malls! I swear that company is run by idiots.

Posted by Tannerman at 12:16 PM

May 16, 2005

Sometimes the "Westfield" sticks, sometimes it doesn't

Today I came across a rather juvenile blog post by a high school senior who, based on the context of her postings, must live in the Chicagoland area. Using the rather insanely hard-to-read text messaging-format of writing, she talks about going to the mall with a friend, and in turn compares the mall to Old Orchard:

ok so i had to wake up at 10:00 cuz asma's friend had a b-day party at the westfield mall which is 40 minz away, at BUILD-A-BEAR...so we decided to take her there n jus hang out...n omg that build-a-bear place is sooo cool... i jus walked around at the mall n checked out a few thingz n omg itz huge n itz niiice...itz one of the best mallz, better than lincolnwood n old orchard...n they had the cutest clothez EVER!!!

Based on the geography mentioned and Build-A-Bear store locations, I assume that this author visited either Hawthorn Center (Vernon Hills, IL) or Fox Valley Center (Aurora, IL).

What I find interesting about her blog post is that while she refers to the mall she visited as "the westfield mall," she later describes two other north-of-Chicago shopping centers by name, "lincolnwood" (as in Lincolnwood Town Center, Lincolnwood, IL - owned by Simon) and, of course, "old orchard" (as in Westfield Shoppingtown Old Orchard, Skokie, IL).

What's unique about this is that this author inadvertently uncovered what the biggest problem is with the Westfield rebranding campaign... it attempts to reprogram the human need for short description of a place/location. You see it happen with sports stadiums all the time, where fans ignore the ridiculously long corporate names attached to stadiums in favor of a short version, minus the branding. For example, in Chicago, the United Center is often referred to as "the UC." U.S. Cellular Field is called "the Cell" or, even better, "Sox Park" or the traditional "Comisky Park."

The author above shows how simple use of the words "lincolnwood" and "old orchard" in the context of malls is all you need. What is contrasting with this argument, however, is that she calls the shopping center she actually visited simply as "the westfield mall." Talk about branding confusion!

Posted by Tannerman at 12:42 PM

May 11, 2005

Westfield Web Watch: Macy's Hate

Since Old Orchard is owned by real estate giant, it's often helpful to keep tabs on what others are saying about the parent company. As it currently stands, Westfield operates more than 120 shopping centers in four countries, providing about 29 million square feet of space. Company trends and observations found elsewhere may add insights to the future of Old Orchard. The Westfield Web Watch is a recurring feature that takes a look at this online conversation!

Pasiphae rants about corporate name changes, namely the renaming of Bon Marché to Macy's, which may foreshadow what we will experience at Old Orchard and the Marshall Field's name. Interestingly, like so many others, the author is not so happy with the whole "Westfield Shoppingtown" branding either:

... And now you're dropping "Bon" all together and just making it Macy's. You know what? I don't want to shop at "Macy's." If I go into your store it will be to shop at the Bon. I'm going to continue to call your store the Bon. Which won't be any different than what I've been calling it these past few years, because I can't think of ANYONE that calls your store by its stupid "official" name in regular conversation. So much for corporate strategy, huh?

It's gonna be an uphill battle to get us to stop calling it the Bon. Just like we refuse to call Southcenter Mall by the ridiculous, [screwed] up name "Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter" [Seattle, WA]. Nobody calls it that.

Posted by Tannerman at 06:42 PM

More Anti-Shoppingtown Fun!

Following up a report about a Westfield property in Wilmington, NC dropping "Shoppingtown" from their name is this article from The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, CA):

Westfield mall to ditch 'Shoppingtown' moniker
Chris Bagley
The Desert Sun
May 11, 2005

For many it's been a tongue twister, for others a puzzlement and now, for all, it will be no more.

Westfield Shoppingtown Palm Desert is becoming just plain Westfield Palm Desert.

Australian mall owner Westfield will drop the word "Shoppingtown" not only in Palm Desert but at most of its 66 other shopping centers in the United States, company officials said Tuesday.

While the "Shoppingtown" appellation is common in Australia it never took off in the United States, a company spokesman said.

The malls will change their logos over many months, said Laurel Munson, an official in the company's Los Angeles-based U.S. division. New logos could show up first on business cards and doors.

Signs on buildings and stone monuments would likely be the last to drop the word, Munson said. She said a specific timetable for altering the signs was not known. "Obviously it's going to take time," Munson said.

An administrative assistant in Palm Desert said the name change would become apparent as the mall routinely replaces signs, food-court trays and other items. The mall hasn't yet changed anything, the employee said.

The company added "Shoppingtown" to its U.S. locations about five years ago, Munson said, as it expanded its U.S. presence. The current rebranding isn't part of a larger marketing effort.

Westfield acquired its first U.S. center in Trumbull, Conn., in 1977. It acquired the Palm Desert shopping center in 1999.

Source: The Desert Sun

Posted by Tannerman at 04:57 PM

May 03, 2005

Will Old Orchard get FAT?

Ah, you have to love Paul Pressler. He's currently the President and CEO of Gap, Inc. But before that, he spent 10 years running the Disney theme park empire into the ground. If that was his goal, he did a fine job. You see, he wasn't a creative guy. He was a business-oriented, retail guy, having gained favor at Disney via his successful reign with The Disney Store. Eventually, he left Disney due to various factors and started at Gap in September 2002.

What does this have to do with Old Orchard? Well, for one thing, the center already has a Banana Republic, in addition to combination Gap/Gap Body and Gap Kids/Baby Gap stores. Old Orchard also offers Talbots and J. Jill. Why mention those retail locations? Because Gap is launching a fourth store brand targeted directly at the same market... with Chicago being a testing ground for 4 new stores called Forth & Towne. The name refers to the company's fourth store brand (after Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy) and "Towne" is supposed to convey a sense of community.

Chicago a 4-store lab for Gap's Forth brand
Becky Yerak
May 3, 2005

The Chicago market soon will be a retail laboratory for Gap Inc.

When the San Francisco-based merchant begins testing its Forth & Towne format in Chicago this fall, it'll try new approaches to see what works and what doesn't. Four Forth & Towne stores will open in yet-to-be-announced malls and shopping centers in the Chicago area. A fifth will open in New York.

"We'll experiment with different ideas across the five stores to understand what really resonates and then apply what we learn to future openings," Gap Chief Executive Officer Paul Pressler said in an April 21 conference call. "This includes testing the right combination of store experiences, styles, quality, fit and value."

Finding the winning formula for Gap's fourth retail concept is important because Forth & Towne seeks the affections of women who are 35 and older

That demographic is increasingly coveted by retailers because it's growing rapidly and earns the highest average income of any age group of women, Pressler said. Typical customers at the company's namesake chain are 18 to 34. It also owns Banana Republic and Old Navy. While younger women typically shop at specialty stores, older ones tend to default to traditional department stores. "They don't feel there's a viable alternative," Pressler said.

Forth & Towne prices will fall somewhere between Gap and Banana Republic. The test stores range in size from 8,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet. That's bigger than other specialty retailers wooing that demographic.

For example, Janeville stores, launched last year by Gymboree Corp. for women in their mid-30s and older, are 3,000 square feet. The typical store of Chico's FAS Inc., whose clothes are known for their forgiving fit, is 2,600 square feet.

Stocking a wider array of sizes will be a Forth & Towne hallmark. "We want to make sure we offer a broad size range" so we can serve shoppers with different needs, Pressler said.

The fitting rooms will be in the center of the store, surrounded by "neighborhoods" of merchandise. Gap executives, echoing recent comments by Federated Department Stores Inc. CEO Terry Lundgren, are waxing poetic about how a decent dressing room helps convert store traffic into sales.

Gap expects to have about 30 Forth & Towne stores through 2007.

The chain is being developed by Gap veterans and new talent based in New York. "They're functioning like a start-up," Pressler said.

Chicago was picked as a test market because it's centrally located and has a "great demographic" of women 35 and older, a Gap spokeswoman said.

Source: Chicago Tribune

No word has been made yet regarding which shopping centers in the Chicago area will get the 4 test stores. Also odd is the spelling of the name "Forth & Towne". As mentioned by Snarkmarket.com, they misspelled both "fourth" and "town". Go figure. And over at SnarkHunting.com, it's illustrated how Gap was smart to use the ampersand in the new store name rather than spelling out the word, as the initals for the chain would then reflect Forth And Towne. Would that really describe the 35+ women's market?

We here at the Observer will keep you posted on future developments!

Posted by Tannerman at 01:55 PM

April 27, 2005

Good-bye Shoppingtown!

It's no secret that I detest the branding of Westfield malls as "Westfield Shoppingtown _____". It seems when Westfield purchases a property, they do their best to remove any sort of unique identity that the shopping center previously held with its customer base.

While the branding isn't completely removed, the emphasis now is placed on the corporate parent rather than the individual property itself. I think this is a bad idea as a person typically associates a positive/negative experience with a physical place when it comes to shopping, not a corporate giant. And while Westfield attempts to keep the previous mall's name in their rebranding (i.e. "Old Orchard Center" became "Westfield Shoppingtown Old Orchard"), the subtlety is lost. It's unfortunate that other large mall operators are trying to mimic this branding, namely Indianapolis-based Simon. I wish I could get my hands on some research about this strategy, either for or against, because it just baffles me.

With that in mind, I was a little shocked by this article from today's Wilmington Star-News, published in Wilmington, NC. It references Westfield Shoppingtown Independence:

Westfield engages in name-dropping
April 27, 2005
by Bonnie Eksten

WHAT'S IN A NAME: Not "Shoppingtown," after Saturday. Westfield Shoppingtown Independence mall in Wilmington will shorten its name to Westfield Independence beginning Sunday.

The Australian-based property management company manages 126 shopping malls in four countries. The company has decided that "Westfield," is the brand name consumers use and recognize, said Chuck Willetts, marketing manager at the Wilmington mall.

All the Westfield properties are slated for the name change, but don't expect signage to change immediately. Mr. Willetts said signs would reflect the new name only when they need replacing.

Interesting!

Posted by Tannerman at 03:51 PM

Another Marshall Field's in Chicagoland?

Even with all the previously reported hype about the future of Marshall Field's, the company just announced that they would be opening a new store in Bolingbrook, IL (about 40 miles from Old Orchard). Apparently it's part of a new shopping development called The Promenade at Bolingbrook, being built by Forest City Enterprises, a firm I've never heard of before. One wonders if this store will eventually become a Macy's.

Marshall Field's Announces Plans for New Store In Chicagoland
Tuesday April 26, 11:00 am ET
Bolingbrook to Be The Company's First Store Opening In Six Years

MINNEAPOLIS, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Marshall Field's today announced plans to open a new store in spring 2007 at The Promenade at Bolingbrook, a new mall development on Boughton Road near Interstate 355 and the Interstate 55 exit in Bolingbrook, Ill.

The Bolingbrook store will be Marshall Field's 18th store in Illinois and its first new full-line department store in the Chicagoland area since the opening of its Northbrook Court store in 1995 and is the retailer's first new store since its Grandville store opened in 1999. Construction of the new two-level, 180,000-square-foot Marshall Field's store will begin in fall 2005.

"We are thrilled to be part of the new growth and development of Bolingbrook and to be expanding our presence in the Chicagoland area," said Frank Guzzetta, Marshall Field's president and chief executive officer. "This is a terrific opportunity for us to create an exceptional shopping experience and introduce the Marshall Field's brand to the Bolingbrook community in a new, exciting environment."

The Promenade at Bolingbrook is a 1.1-million-square-foot retail center that is being built on two separate pieces of undeveloped land and will be linked to form a seamless shopping destination covering more than 121 acres. The first phase of The Promenade at Bolingbrook is scheduled to be completed in fall 2005, and Marshall Field's Bolingbrook will open on the south side of Boughton Road during the second phase of the development.

Source: Marshall Field's Press Release

Posted by Tannerman at 10:22 AM

April 21, 2005

Takin' photos at Old Orchard

Having previously worked for a real estate investment trust (REIT) -- that's fancy talk for a company the builds and runs malls -- I'm somewhat familiar with the policies that are often put in place for a property. As much as people choose to forget, a shopping center is not public property, and therefore those who utilize them are subject to the rules of conduct that are imposed. It's even harder to come to grips with this when the shopping center is an open-air mall like Old Orchard because it feels like city streets or a park.

I remember when I was a kid we used to do these photo scavenger hunts with my youth group using Polaroid cameras. The ideal location was the area's largest mall, Woodfield. Given the size of that place, you could easily spread a group out to discover unique situations for film. However, every time we did such an event, we were required to get permission from mall operations first.

For some reason, retailers seem a bit nervous about cameras. Maybe they are afraid that a competitor will take photos of their window displays, signage, or something. Who knows. When I worked out at Randhurst, I don't believe that photography inside the mall was generally allowed. However, being a member of the management office, I was allowed to freely roam and take personal photos if I wanted. I was also often tasked with taking photos of storefronts on behalf of the leasing office. Often, photos are used inside the industry when a retailer is trying to sell a concept to a certain shopping center. They help illustrate what a store will look like, etc.

Given the scope of the Old Orchard Observer, photos help illustrate the "news and views" that I write about. Amy and I have taken photos at Old Orchard before without problems. But, just to be on the safe side, I thought I would walk over to the Customer Service area (which Westfield ridiculously calls the "Shopping Concierge Center") and ask what the mall's policy was on photography. Often, you'll find a Code of Conduct posted at the entrance to a center, but I could not find one.

While I was talking to the folks at Customer Service, a Old Orchard security officer joined the conversation to add his insight. According to what he told me, photography inside a store is not allowed. However, outside photos of the landscaping, such as flowers, topiaries, etc., would be acceptable. If you are taking a photo of another person outside while in the mall, that is allowed. However, they tend to frown on photos of actual buildings. Sounds like an obscure policy, but I can understand the concerns.

So, apparently, to be in the clear, I just need to have Amy included in every shot I take at Old Orchard!

Posted by Tannerman at 01:02 PM