TOPSHOP NYC Now Open!

[baddabling]

from fashionweekdaily.com

Topshop's Atlantic Crossing
British retailer to debut U.S. flagship in SoHo
Thursday, November 01, 2007
(NEW YORK) Topshop has zeroed in on a location for its first stateside store. The cheap, chic clothing chain, which enjoys a near cult following in its native Great Britain, will debut an American flagship at 478 Broadway in the heart of SoHo, according to real estate sources. The site is said to be the same one that the British retail tycoon Philip Green, owner of Topshop parent Arcadia, rejected in 2006. The store, which will be anywhere from 60,000 to 90,000 square feet, will take the place of Yellow Rat Bastard, the cutting-edge skateboard store located near Broome Street that has been a SoHo staple for years (the brand also operates two other stores in the metropolitan area). A spokeswoman for Yellow Rat Bastard said she was unaware of any impending closure. Topshop's press office had no confirmed information available.

 

[baddabling]

so excited...

 

[leyla m.]

if this is true then GREAT!
YELLOW RAT BASTARD has been in my "way" for too long and who better to replace that store with TOPSHOP with its dynamic and bright (!) concept!
congrats philip!

 

[cutxpaste]

yay!!!!!!

 

[softgrey]

hmmm....no confirmation!

but that would be across the street from the new muji store opening on lower broadway...
and the new crate and barrel cb2 store as well...

that whole block seems to be getting a facelift of sorts..
...


anyway- moving this to the shopping forum...

i wonder what they are going to to about the prices...
cause right now...
they are too high for the american market...if you do the exchange rate...
they are going to have to adjust for that in some way...

uniqlo seems to be having a hard time with that...
so i hope topshop does a better job of it!...

 

[baddabling]

haha...thanks!!
i wasnt really sure where to put it

 

[baddabling]

also, i think TS has more of an all-around american appeal than uniqlo
topshop also had so much more of a following in the US to begin with, much more so than uniqlo

 

[crepebacksatin]

when i think lower bdwy i still think canal jeans... how the times change...

should definitely be interesting!!

 

[smartarse]

^ lol same here with associating lower bwy with Canal jeans. lol.

TopShop openning in soho--- very interesting. well , there goes more foot traffic on Broadway .

 

[DandyWarhol]

Yayyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY!
SO happy!~
..i never liked Yellow Rat Bastard anyways.

 

[ChrissyM]

it would be so great to have a top shop in the US--I'm assuming that this would be the first of many...

they would definitely have to figure something out price-wise as softie mentioned...
the weak dollar just can't compete with British currency..

I was studying abroad in London a couple years ago and the exchange rate brought about a lot of anxiety

 

[Meg]

I don't think topshop has that much of a presence in the US more than uniqlo. As people have stated above, the price thing will really be the issue as prices in the UK for 'on trend' pieces have steadily risen in the past couple of years and quite frankly even British consumers are finding the prices do not justify the quality. I'm really not sure there is a place for topshop in the market at the price it's at now with what it is offering when there are other 'trend' driven high street stores in the US such as Zara, Forever21, American Apparel, etc. It'll be interesting. I think the 'topshop' name to a lot of people is appealing but will that translate into sales?

 

[leyla m.]

meg,

i think you nailed it. the name is everything and the concept altogether.
i used to shop there before it had the makeover and to be honest dont know how i ended up there as it surely wasnt that known back then... just to say that the clothes are the same just the decor and the marketing has changed. its all about great PR. that i believe will attract tons and tons of customers to the soho one.. but i DO love it and i still want a topshop in monaco no matter what mr and mrs green think... WE NEED ONE HERE TOO!

 

[smartarse]

eeek.... any imports in the USA is not doing so well money wise. i bet ya TopShop only allowed to opened in the USA because real estate is a hot commodity for foreigners right now, ironically because of the weak dollar.

 

[smartarse]

^ but then again there are lot of foreigners esp. europeans in new york city buying everything in sight because of the weak dollar. so it might just be an advantageous to Topshop, SoHo.

 

[leyla m.]

i think its an excellent move. its been in the talks for very very long and i believe soho has both, the toursim but also locals that are regulars on broadway. broadway has that energy and dynamic that many other NYC loactions dont have.
this is not about money for philip green but more planting the first flagship in the US.
i havent seen anything like this anywhere in the US. topshop is very "london" and reflects a fashion that you wont see in zara, gap, or uniqlo. its much more portraying the fast and victim side of fashion which many will succomb to. i am referring once again to the concept (the sales staff, the windows dedicated to fashion week, etc)not only the clothes (which can be very plain and basic as well )
as i am sure he will try and recreate the actual oxford circus store (not all countries have that energy) the formula should sell out!

 

[Meg]

I don't find 'topshop' so London but as you said leyla it to me is becoming more 'victimy'. It is doing things which other stores takes longer to do or just plain don't cater to, nu-rave, skater skirts, etc. I find it quite 'young' dressing in many regards. I guess some people might consider this 'london' i guess for me the dressing in london is such a broad spectrum.....

 

[leyla m.]

i know where you are coming from since you lived in london but for people who havent it is something very new. i try and always see it from that perspective actually more than an insider view.
as far as im concerned everyone wants topshop. speaking broadly of course...
the PR around it has managed to give it a celeb status as so many people wearing it in the tabloids are those who would also carry a chanel bag or lanvin flats. its one of those few high street brands many people are willing to "show off" (again not you or me but the majority) . i always hear the younger crowd talking bout "i got my dress from topshop" but rarely "i got my ballet flats from H&M.. if that makes sense. and of course selling at colette and barneys helped this celeb status..
with regards to the price.. it is actually not cheap in the UK either. for a basic dress at topshop you can easily pay 40£ when you can get something very similar at H&M for £14.99
i am sure the currency conversion would make it similar to what GAP became in the UK. double what it is in the US.. but i think GAP works nevertheless.
as you can tell i am very much anticipating the opening and very intrigued as to what it will look like!!

 

[smartarse]

isnt Topshop like H&M?

 

[Meg]

it's more expensive and I would say they carry things that older people (I mean someone over 20) could wear as well.

no no I competely agree with everything you said above leyla I definately think Green's PR people have done a GREAT job as have the design team.