Hermes Cafe Bon Temps~Good Times Cafe

[CapriTrotteur]

Thank you gracekelky , scarf1, and madmadcat. This was recommended by my brother who travels every week. Obviously he recommends any German stuff because he works for German company. [emoji848]I was told by the store manager that this would never dent blah blah. I decided to come back and do research first. It's really expensive for a luggage. Let me check out Tumi. I need something that has a hard surface so stuff inside doesn't get crashed.

Quickly jumping in here Cremel, I don't know if they are still around but I have an old Samsonite hard plastic suitcase. It is heavy, so is not great for check in weight, but it is pretty solid. I have had it over 20 years and not done a lot of travelling, but some. The only thing that is wrong with it is the sealing rubber round the two halves is peeling a bit, like silicone sealer.
I am sure you may find these second hand on eBay if you are interested.

 

[kathydep]

I'm glad it went well. So that is not the store policy? And was it the manager's attitude that what the SA said was acceptable or unacceptable?

I honestly couldn't tell because she was overly cheerful IMO. I felt like she was trying to keep the conversation super friendlyband pleasant so I wont get upset. But on my part, I was already feeling guilty about making a fuzz about this as I dont wanna be pegged as a drama queen or asking fornspecial treatment. I also did not want an awkwardness between me and my SA because this was not the first time I talked to her about an issue. A couple of months ago, my SA mistakenly charged my card almost $2,000 for someone else's shoe purchase two days after I made a phone order for a rodeo. Yea, I know. I should have left them then. The Managing Director was the one who handled the issue then because my SA was on vacation at that time and I gave her a piece of my mind then about the incident and Hermes' selling policy. She was very patient and let me vent and she also told me verbally and through email after the conversation that she values me as a customer of their store, which made me stay with them.

 

[EmileH]

I honestly couldn't tell because she was overly cheerful IMO. I felt like she was trying to keep the conversation super friendlyband pleasant so I wont get upset. But on my part, I was already feeling guilty about making a fuzz about this as I dont wanna be pegged as a drama queen or asking fornspecial treatment. I also did not want an awkwardness between me and my SA because this was not the first time I talked to her about an issue. A couple of months ago, my SA mistakenly charged my card almost $2,000 for someone else's shoe purchase two days after I made a phone order for a rodeo. Yea, I know. I should have left them then. The Managing Director was the one who handled the issue then because my SA was on vacation at that time and I gave her a piece of my mind then about the incident and Hermes' selling policy. She was very patient and let me vent and she also told me verbally and through email after the conversation that she values me as a customer of their store, which made me stay with them.

Understandable on your part completely. The last thing you want is to be pegged as a trouble maker. Not that you deserve that. I suspect it is indeed the store policy and you caught them behaving badly so they were simply placating you. So you are left in the same position: do you go forward with your loyalty to them in the hope that you will get bags or do you move on. Tough choice.

I am really trying to think positively about the whole company but at times I get so irked that I want to walk away. I'm really tired of the games. At the moment I'm not only trying to get a cashmere shawl. I'm begging for a dress that I tried at the ready to wear event and I can't seem to get a response. I haven't even gotten to the point of being irked that with all of my purchases they haven't come through with bags, cards, invitations etc. but can you tell that I'm getting very close? [emoji35]

 

[klynneann]

Understandable on your part completely. The last thing you want is to be pegged as a trouble maker. Not that you deserve that. I suspect it is indeed the store policy and you caught them behaving badly so they were simply placating you. So you are left in the same position: do you go forward with your loyalty to them in the hope that you will get bags or do you move on. Tough choice.

I am really trying to think positively about the whole company but at times I get so irked that I want to walk away. I'm really tired of the games. At the moment I'm not only trying to get a cashmere shawl. I'm begging for a dress that I tried at the ready to wear event and I can't seem to get a response. I haven't even gotten to the point of being irked that with all of my purchases they haven't come through with bags, cards, invitations etc. but can you tell that I'm getting very close? [emoji35]

I just don't understand any of it. Even simple things don't seem to happen. This past spring I had told my SA about a specific moussie I wanted in a specific cw and asked him to please let me know when the store got it in. Fast forward a few weeks later, I go by the boutique for a visit, and lo and behold, there's my moussie on display. I wasn't angry, but I was disappointed and felt like I didn't matter. Shouldn't all customers be important, no matter how big or small their purchase? But I can see that probably has nothing to do with it, as it appears to happen to everyone.

 

[EmileH]

I just don't understand any of it. Even simple things don't seem to happen. This past spring I had told my SA about a specific moussie I wanted in a specific cw and asked him to please let me know when the store got it in. Fast forward a few weeks later, I go by the boutique for a visit, and lo and behold, there's my moussie on display. I wasn't angry, but I was disappointed and felt like I didn't matter. Shouldn't all customers be important, no matter how big or small their purchase? But I can see that probably has nothing to do with it, as it appears to happen to everyone.

Delete. I have to eat my words. The dress is in its way

 

[klynneann]

Well, on a fun note, there's going to be a craftsperson at my store this weekend who is doing leather embossing. I found out it will be one of the craftspeople I met at the Metiers in Vancouver a couple weekends ago, so I'm very excited to go. I don't know if she'll remember me out of all the people that were there, but it will be fun to see her again. She was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. I'm hoping they'll let me emboss something I already own lol. I plan on bringing a couple calvi with me, and maybe my one bastia too. I don't think I'm keen on embossing one of my bags. Hm, maybe one of my leather bracelets too, I wonder if they would do that?

 

[kathydep]

Understandable on your part completely. The last thing you want is to be pegged as a trouble maker. Not that you deserve that. I suspect it is indeed the store policy and you caught them behaving badly so they were simply placating you. So you are left in the same position: do you go forward with your loyalty to them in the hope that you will get bags or do you move on. Tough choice.

I am really trying to think positively about the whole company but at times I get so irked that I want to walk away. I'm really tired of the games. At the moment I'm not only trying to get a cashmere shawl. I'm begging for a dress that I tried at the ready to wear event and I can't seem to get a response. I haven't even gotten to the point of being irked that with all of my purchases they haven't come through with bags, cards, invitations etc. but can you tell that I'm getting very close? [emoji35]

I can sense it! And I am sorry that they are like that. For now, I am staying while they remain engaged with me, since that is valuable to me. I can't even get attention from ANYONE at the SF store as a walk in, I literally would have to wait in line at the cash register every single time to get someone to help me because if I just stand around waiting for anyone to notice that I want to look at scarves or twillies or wallets, I will grow roots! On the other hand, I've accepted that there is no Constance for me this weekend or for the rest of the year, and I am finally fine with that.

 

[Keren16]

Oh wow.... That is quite a difficult question. A lot would depend on my mood.

For reds, I like a lot of Rhone wines, both Southern Rhone like Chateauneuf du Pape and Northern Rhone Syrah (Cote Rotie, Saint Joseph, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas etc). Those tend to be my favorites. I also really love Burgundy Pinot Noir, Bordeaux (typically the left bank which are heavier on the Cabernet Sauvignon in their blends), Chinon Cabernet Franc, Beaujolais for something lighter.... For Italian wines, I lean towards Barolo (especially older ones), Brunello, and Amarone della Valpolicella. For Spain, I tend to favor Priorat. My new world favorite is Opus One, though I've been branching out a bit and have had some pretty good ones from California and even Oregon Pinot Noir.... you just have to be able to filter out the mediocrity. Then again, you need that when it comes to old world too.

For white whines, again, love Rhone! Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier.... white Chateauneuf du Pape is underrated but lovely. I do love Alsace Gewurztraminer and really anything full bodied and complex... It is a lot harder for me to find whites I rave about than reds. I like high quality Chardonnay, both Burgundy and some new world like Kistler. Assyrtiko can be very interesting as well.

For champagnes, I love Dom Perignon, Bollinger, Billecart Salmon, etc. But it is hard to go wrong with most champagnes. And I do love Oloroso Sherry.

Thanks for the comprehensive list!
I also like Rhone wines. I had better experiences with northern (Syrah grape ?) and drank all at one time but Cornas. Is the Blonde et Brunette a Cote Rotie? That one was nice. I may have a bottle of it. Chateaubeuf du Pape are wonderful though my husband & I have mixed results finding ones we like
. We may not be choosing correctly. The last one we had was at a neighborhood French Restaurant & was terrific. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the vineyard or year. The restaurant since closed. My husband & I always come back to French Pinot Noirs from the Burgundy region. I have not had Bordeaux in a while.
I drank all the Italian reds you described & like them very much. Have you tried Barbaresco?
There is an Italian restaurant in my neighborhood that has good wines at reasonable prices. Tuesday is 1/2 price night. Unfortunately, the food could be better so we minimize our visits. It's best if our intention is to drink wine with food as an accompaniment. We usually don't don't at restaurants
I know little about Spanish or new world wines and hardly drink white wines. I heard wonderful things about Opus One and drank a few other American Reds but don't have enough exposure to them to comment.
I like Champagne and stay with light ones.
So these are my experiences with wines. I enjoyed reading yours. I'll look for your recommendations[emoji6]

 

[klynneann]

Delete. I have to eat my words. The dress is in its way

Yay! lol

 

[MSO13]

I honestly couldn't tell because she was overly cheerful IMO. I felt like she was trying to keep the conversation super friendlyband pleasant so I wont get upset. But on my part, I was already feeling guilty about making a fuzz about this as I dont wanna be pegged as a drama queen or asking fornspecial treatment. I also did not want an awkwardness between me and my SA because this was not the first time I talked to her about an issue. A couple of months ago, my SA mistakenly charged my card almost $2,000 for someone else's shoe purchase two days after I made a phone order for a rodeo. Yea, I know. I should have left them then. The Managing Director was the one who handled the issue then because my SA was on vacation at that time and I gave her a piece of my mind then about the incident and Hermes' selling policy. She was very patient and let me vent and she also told me verbally and through email after the conversation that she values me as a customer of their store, which made me stay with them.

I'm glad she tried to resolve it and keep you happy.

As for the mistaken charge, that kind of stuff happens-my SA called me so worried after I ordered a pair of earrings. She accidentally rang up 5 figures instead of 4 but they fixed it immediately and all was fine. I had to laugh about it, I was more surprised that I didn't get a fraud alert which made me think I've been spending too much at H if that didn't make them blink

 

[katekluet]

Just to clarify, I am not for an elitist approach to who should or shouldn't carry an H bag but was commenting on that tone that does sometimes pervade conversation on tPF. If we were judging books by their cover I would probably not appear to be a "desirable" H customer though I was recently told by someone very, very high up at H that I actually am exactly who they hope to cultivate as a lifelong client. I just am very fascinated by branding and brand management especially in an age of constant exposure on social media.

Does anyone want to talk about lipstick? Shoes? Dries Van Noten? I have a new favorite lip creme, Jouer which I learned about from watching too many makeup videos on YouTube. It stays on all day. H shoes continue to kill me, I want at least 2 more pairs from this Fall and the Spring look tempting too. Dries, my suit is going to the tailor and I found a sale blouse from the Outnet to layer under it. I also got a great Chanel tee with amazing buttons up the back. I kind of can't believe I spent that much on a long sleeve tee shirt but it will look so good with everything from jeans to leather pants to a dressy skirt. That's what happens when I don't get a bag when I think I will, I start moving down the rest of the wish list. That usually makes a bag show up

I'm wearing my Stella McCartney cat shirt today, I love this shirt and want to get more in this cut if they make it. It's a good fit over the girls which is unusual in a button down. I did find that Anne Fontaine was a good fit but I got one of their jersey shirts and it got a hole almost immediately.

I have a day at the office to catch up so that I can hopefully have a quiet and relaxing end of the week. My project over the weekend was a big one and the end of my busy season is in sight!

View attachment 3495545 View attachment 3495547 View attachment 3495548

Love the Stella cat shirt and what a perfect print design for you !

 

[MSO13]

Thank you for supplying this information. My background is not in business. It is a lot for me to absorb. I'm sure I missed information you would understand.
Kering interested me. NM & SAKS Bal Harbour have boutiques w/in their stores with some of the designers in that group. I do not know if there is any significance.
The Design District is on the mainland, Bal Harbour the beach. BH is surrounded by condominiums, mainly luxury, & Bay Harbour, an affluent neighborhood. The DD neighborhood is not upscale though people are buying the properties & renovating &/or demolishing & rebuilding the area. I think it is a wonderful attempt & hopefully successful.
I live in South Beach, near Lincoln Rd which is close to both BH & the DD. The area where I live is nicknamed SOFI. At one time it was very run down. Today, there are numerous high rises with people of various ages & incomes. We have an elementary school. The reason I mention this is perhaps in time, the DD will have a similar outcome.
I do not know once the leases of the tenants at Bal Harbour are up what they will do. Not recently, there was an article in the Miami Herald's Business Monday section describing the competition Bal Harbour is facing from the emerging DD & a center planned for downtown Miami.
I personally like the feeling of the Design District. It is energetic & urban feeling. Bal Harbour could use a little life. They have more restaurants now so an evening scene is common. Though I do not go often, there is a nice atmosphere. I have not gone recently to the Design District at night.
It would be a stretch to have two Hermes stores in the Miami area. There is one in Palm Beach, not that far away.
With your experience, what are your thoughts about the direction of retail in general considering the active internet way of buying.
South Florida has many foreign investors due to the weak currencies abroad & general safety the US provides compared to some other countries. Additionally, we are a tourist destination. Stores can be quiet for periods of time. A few robust expenditures from clients & visitors can justify the presence of certain businesses.

Hi Keren, I love talking business so I hope I don't bore anyone in the Cafe!

The "leased" departments in NM and Saks are a lower cost way to keep a brand presence without maintaining their own retail stores and staff. NM and Saks are two separate companies and there is always a tussle between the 5 department store brands for placement of premier merchandise as it's usually high ticket items. The brands pay to be there plus train specialists in sales but the department store captures store card purchases, points incentives etc. Its a very cooperative type of arrangement. In my opinion, Saks is struggling to find it's way with new customers though I love that store and hope they figure it out. Macy's has seen such a decline in their store appearance and merchandise pricing and they seem to be dragging Bloomingdales down with them, another shame as it was so iconic.

This is just my opinion and I have been out of fashion retail for several years but online sales will likely cause retail square footage to need to drop at least 50% in order for these companies to stay afloat and more than that for large department stores. Malls are already becoming entertainment centers and food is the focus for drawing in more customers. Some malls will have to close and the different retailers will have to focus their efforts on drawing more people to a single location rather than being everywhere for convenience since it doesn't get much more convenient than online shopping. I think we're also going to see more promotion of items that can't be bought online, every effort will have to be made to get people to the stores. My area is now home to the 2nd largest mall in the US and they spent 250 million on an expansion and they average $1K per square foot of retail space-some of the highest in the country. They courted 8 new LVMH and Kering brand boutiques which will now draw those clients from their nearest boutique 90 miles away. That mall 90 miles away is seeing other closures, spending on renovations but seemed lifeless and it's lacking in any new exciting brands or restaurants.

The big developments in the new few years will be these lifestyle hubs, food, hotels, entertainment, shopping, parking, indoor and outdoor walkways. One fashion retailer just acquired an Italian restaurant group and plonked a gourmet pizza and wine bar in between 3 of it's branded stores. That captures food, home and fashion and entertainment revenue in about 30,000 sq feet. When I started in retail 20 years ago, the company I worked for experienced meteoric growth because our stores were spectacles and destinations. They invested heavily in design, art, music and the overall vibe was very buzzy. Then they went public and slowly that started to decline but now it will have to come back to draw in people. Now it seems people do feel that there are some things you shouldn't buy online or don't want to but I think we're going to see a big focus on the overall client experience and how they feel in these spaces which will be very interesting. When you make people feel good, make the space smell good etc they buy more and they're even happy about it.

The biggest flaw in the Design District is the outdoors in Florida aspect, I was there one rainy afternoon and had the place to myself. It was slightly awkward being the only customer in most stores. And I'm pretty sure it rains a lot in Florida, right? some covered walkways would help tremendously, maybe with water misters for really hot days. They'll figure it out though, as you said there's a lot invested!

Ok, cafe sorry to clog the thread. Now that I've procrastinated long enough I must go back to work .

 

[EmileH]

Hi Keren, I love talking business so I hope I don't bore anyone in the Cafe!

The "leased" departments in NM and Saks are a lower cost way to keep a brand presence without maintaining their own retail stores and staff. NM and Saks are two separate companies and there is always a tussle between the 5 department store brands for placement of premier merchandise as it's usually high ticket items. The brands pay to be there plus train specialists in sales but the department store captures store card purchases, points incentives etc. Its a very cooperative type of arrangement. In my opinion, Saks is struggling to find it's way with new customers though I love that store and hope they figure it out. Macy's has seen such a decline in their store appearance and merchandise pricing and they seem to be dragging Bloomingdales down with them, another shame as it was so iconic.

This is just my opinion and I have been out of fashion retail for several years but online sales will likely cause retail square footage to need to drop at least 50% in order for these companies to stay afloat and more than that for large department stores. Malls are already becoming entertainment centers and food is the focus for drawing in more customers. Some malls will have to close and the different retailers will have to focus their efforts on drawing more people to a single location rather than being everywhere for convenience since it doesn't get much more convenient than online shopping. I think we're also going to see more promotion of items that can't be bought online, every effort will have to be made to get people to the stores. My area is now home to the 2nd largest mall in the US and they spent 250 million on an expansion and they average $1K per square foot of retail space-some of the highest in the country. They courted 8 new LVMH and Kering brand boutiques which will now draw those clients from their nearest boutique 90 miles away. That mall 90 miles away is seeing other closures, spending on renovations but seemed lifeless and it's lacking in any new exciting brands or restaurants.

The big developments in the new few years will be these lifestyle hubs, food, hotels, entertainment, shopping, parking, indoor and outdoor walkways. One fashion retailer just acquired an Italian restaurant group and plonked a gourmet pizza and wine bar in between 3 of it's branded stores. That captures food, home and fashion and entertainment revenue in about 30,000 sq feet. When I started in retail 20 years ago, the company I worked for experienced meteoric growth because our stores were spectacles and destinations. They invested heavily in design, art, music and the overall vibe was very buzzy. Then they went public and slowly that started to decline but now it will have to come back to draw in people. Now it seems people do feel that there are some things you shouldn't buy online or don't want to but I think we're going to see a big focus on the overall client experience and how they feel in these spaces which will be very interesting. When you make people feel good, make the space smell good etc they buy more and they're even happy about it.

The biggest flaw in the Design District is the outdoors in Florida aspect, I was there one rainy afternoon and had the place to myself. It was slightly awkward being the only customer in most stores. And I'm pretty sure it rains a lot in Florida, right? some covered walkways would help tremendously, maybe with water misters for really hot days. They'll figure it out though, as you said there's a lot invested!

Ok, cafe sorry to clog the thread. Now that I've procrastinated long enough I must go back to work .

Not at all. I know nothing about retail but find it fascinating.

 

[gracekelly]

Hi Keren, I love talking business so I hope I don't bore anyone in the Cafe!

The "leased" departments in NM and Saks are a lower cost way to keep a brand presence without maintaining their own retail stores and staff. NM and Saks are two separate companies and there is always a tussle between the 5 department store brands for placement of premier merchandise as it's usually high ticket items. The brands pay to be there plus train specialists in sales but the department store captures store card purchases, points incentives etc. Its a very cooperative type of arrangement. In my opinion, Saks is struggling to find it's way with new customers though I love that store and hope they figure it out. Macy's has seen such a decline in their store appearance and merchandise pricing and they seem to be dragging Bloomingdales down with them, another shame as it was so iconic.

This is just my opinion and I have been out of fashion retail for several years but online sales will likely cause retail square footage to need to drop at least 50% in order for these companies to stay afloat and more than that for large department stores. Malls are already becoming entertainment centers and food is the focus for drawing in more customers. Some malls will have to close and the different retailers will have to focus their efforts on drawing more people to a single location rather than being everywhere for convenience since it doesn't get much more convenient than online shopping. I think we're also going to see more promotion of items that can't be bought online, every effort will have to be made to get people to the stores. My area is now home to the 2nd largest mall in the US and they spent 250 million on an expansion and they average $1K per square foot of retail space-some of the highest in the country. They courted 8 new LVMH and Kering brand boutiques which will now draw those clients from their nearest boutique 90 miles away. That mall 90 miles away is seeing other closures, spending on renovations but seemed lifeless and it's lacking in any new exciting brands or restaurants.

The big developments in the new few years will be these lifestyle hubs, food, hotels, entertainment, shopping, parking, indoor and outdoor walkways. One fashion retailer just acquired an Italian restaurant group and plonked a gourmet pizza and wine bar in between 3 of it's branded stores. That captures food, home and fashion and entertainment revenue in about 30,000 sq feet. When I started in retail 20 years ago, the company I worked for experienced meteoric growth because our stores were spectacles and destinations. They invested heavily in design, art, music and the overall vibe was very buzzy. Then they went public and slowly that started to decline but now it will have to come back to draw in people. Now it seems people do feel that there are some things you shouldn't buy online or don't want to but I think we're going to see a big focus on the overall client experience and how they feel in these spaces which will be very interesting. When you make people feel good, make the space smell good etc they buy more and they're even happy about it.

The biggest flaw in the Design District is the outdoors in Florida aspect, I was there one rainy afternoon and had the place to myself. It was slightly awkward being the only customer in most stores. And I'm pretty sure it rains a lot in Florida, right? some covered walkways would help tremendously, maybe with water misters for really hot days. They'll figure it out though, as you said there's a lot invested!

Ok, cafe sorry to clog the thread. Now that I've procrastinated long enough I must go back to work .

My local NM used to have a leased Vuitton space in a mall that already had a large Vuitton boutique. About 2 years ago they closed the NM space and Prada took it over They were so close to one another, it never made that much sense.

Re outdoor malls: Not too far from me there was an outdoor shopping mall that was wonderful. We don't get as much rain here so it worked well. The powers that be decided that it was not keeping up to speed and enclosed it. After Westfield bought it, it was even more improved. I still miss the outdoor mall.

I can't stand all the food courts etc at Malls. It smells like you are shopping in your kitchen!

 

[eagle1002us]

Hi Keren, I love talking business so I hope I don't bore anyone in the Cafe!

The "leased" departments in NM and Saks are a lower cost way to keep a brand presence without maintaining their own retail stores and staff. NM and Saks are two separate companies and there is always a tussle between the 5 department store brands for placement of premier merchandise as it's usually high ticket items. The brands pay to be there plus train specialists in sales but the department store captures store card purchases, points incentives etc. Its a very cooperative type of arrangement. In my opinion, Saks is struggling to find it's way with new customers though I love that store and hope they figure it out. Macy's has seen such a decline in their store appearance and merchandise pricing and they seem to be dragging Bloomingdales down with them, another shame as it was so iconic.

This is just my opinion and I have been out of fashion retail for several years but online sales will likely cause retail square footage to need to drop at least 50% in order for these companies to stay afloat and more than that for large department stores. Malls are already becoming entertainment centers and food is the focus for drawing in more customers. Some malls will have to close and the different retailers will have to focus their efforts on drawing more people to a single location rather than being everywhere for convenience since it doesn't get much more convenient than online shopping. I think we're also going to see more promotion of items that can't be bought online, every effort will have to be made to get people to the stores. My area is now home to the 2nd largest mall in the US and they spent 250 million on an expansion and they average $1K per square foot of retail space-some of the highest in the country. They courted 8 new LVMH and Kering brand boutiques which will now draw those clients from their nearest boutique 90 miles away. That mall 90 miles away is seeing other closures, spending on renovations but seemed lifeless and it's lacking in any new exciting brands or restaurants.

The big developments in the new few years will be these lifestyle hubs, food, hotels, entertainment, shopping, parking, indoor and outdoor walkways. One fashion retailer just acquired an Italian restaurant group and plonked a gourmet pizza and wine bar in between 3 of it's branded stores. That captures food, home and fashion and entertainment revenue in about 30,000 sq feet. When I started in retail 20 years ago, the company I worked for experienced meteoric growth because our stores were spectacles and destinations. They invested heavily in design, art, music and the overall vibe was very buzzy. Then they went public and slowly that started to decline but now it will have to come back to draw in people. Now it seems people do feel that there are some things you shouldn't buy online or don't want to but I think we're going to see a big focus on the overall client experience and how they feel in these spaces which will be very interesting. When you make people feel good, make the space smell good etc they buy more and they're even happy about it.

The biggest flaw in the Design District is the outdoors in Florida aspect, I was there one rainy afternoon and had the place to myself. It was slightly awkward being the only customer in most stores. And I'm pretty sure it rains a lot in Florida, right? some covered walkways would help tremendously, maybe with water misters for really hot days. They'll figure it out though, as you said there's a lot invested!

Ok, cafe sorry to clog the thread. Now that I've procrastinated long enough I must go back to work .

Oh, no clog, no clog at all! I really enjoyed what you said. I study the evolution of different kinds of industries/firms in my field so I read with great interest what you had to say about the evolution of retail structure. I totally agree with you about the DD, last time we were there it was a gray mid-day afternoon, raining, and yes, it was deserted. To borrow a 60's phrase, people wanted to be where there is a happening.

I wonder about the retail appeal to the different age groups. The attempt at a Rodeo Driver experience just over the District line in MD partially failed IMO because that area does have a fair amount of retirees. On the other hand, go up a mile or so on Wisconsin Ave. to Cleveland Park in DC and there are new apt buildings and bunches of restaurants -- Burger Tap and Shake, some ethnic restaurants, etc. You could see all the young people there through the big windows. These places were crowded. It was all concentrated in a two or three blocks at most, but on both sides of the street. American Univ. is a mile or less walk away.

I think a lot of retailers are struggling to identify which market segments they should appeal to. I read that Nordstrom Rack is doing quite well but Nordies itself not so much. Everyone wants a piece of the high-end designer business but there's not enough of that to go around. Do the Millennials want Armani, Missoni, and other designer brands carried by NM, Saks, and to some extent, Nordies? Or maybe the more relevant question is the right venue for it.

I think department stores and boutiques are a tad depressing when they are empty which is most of the day. Who ultimately pays for the overhead costs of maintaining staffed structures who primarily do business on weekends or during special "events" tied to points? The customer.