Written by Joan Johnson
January 5, 2008
It looks like a promising year for retailers in Colorado Springs and nearby shopping destinations.
Downtown retailers will have the support of the Downtown Partnership, which has several new marketing ideas in store.The Promenade Shops at Briargate will keep a tight rein on competitors with high end stores moving in, and Old Colorado City and Manitou will continue to attract customers with their heritage, unique boutique shops and galleries. Franchise ownership is expected to increase, and technology, especially relating to interactive marketing such as mobile retail and social networking, will again challenge retailers during the coming year.
Downtown
Laszlo Palos, marketing director of the Downtown Partnership said the group has increased it 2008 marketing budget.
Visits to www.downtown80903.com have spiked, Laszlo said, and the next phases will include photo archives of the public utilizing downtown’s attractions and events.
“In 2007, we developed many important lines of communication,” Palos said. “There will be a lot more cooperative, mutual energy spent.”
Promenade Shops
Jennifer Halloway, general manager at The Promenade Shops at Briargate, said marketing plans will continue with many of the same events from last year, such as the popular movie series, bark at Briargate and the holiday lighting.
Girl of the Golden West will receive a permanent location between Ann Taylor and Williams Sonoma, with 5,000 square feet scheduled to open Jan. 10. Bath & Body Works will open in March in the former LeGourmet Chef space, with 4,000 square feet of space. Ann Taylor Loft also will open in March next to Talbot’s, occupying 5,500 square feet. M&H Galleries will receive a permanent location during June, with 7,500 square feet.
Two stores, Bombay and Mikasa, which announced nationwide company bankruptcies, will be closing.
Fashion blue jeans and wrinkle-free dress shirts are the trends at The Promenade Shops at Briargate.
“gloss Denim Bar is leading the fashion trend and excitement at the center with their hip fashions in jeans, jackets, shirts and coats,” Halloway said. “A-line jackets with wide collar and large buttons are very popular. Talbot’s has a fantastic line of work/dress shirts that you can wash and dry and wear without having to iron — a very popular trend for female business travelers.”
Halloway said that the shops analyze and conduct research about the Colorado Springs and South Denver markets.
“Staying competitive is always about leasing … bringing new retail stores that are not represented in the Colorado Springs market is essential,” she said. “Ann Taylor Loft will be the first and only in the market and will soon be a very popular destination for business and casual fashions at affordable prices.”
Old Colorado City
Many changes are in the works at Old Colorado City Associates.
Karen Earley recently became the marketing and events director and said she is ready to hit the ground running.
“We will be looking at economic development, business development, events, short- and long-term marketing, promotions and our heritage,” she said.
The occupancy rate is holding steady, she said. Two stores have closed, but others are opening, including an antique store just west of 25th Street.
“For the few buildings that remain empty, we will be actively pursuing businesses that will add to the ‘Historic Old Colorado City Experience.’
To continue focusing on the “experience,” Earley said the group will work with the Old Colorado History Center to launch new programs.
“We will definitely be doing more Internet advertising, as well as TV, radio and print,” she said. “However, we’re fortunate to have great ‘roots’ and will be working on that level, too.”
Manitou Springs
Manitou Springs continues to fill vacancies as it looks to becoming a year-round destination, said economic development director Kitty Clemens.
“The Spa Building is nearing completion,” she said, adding that the largest building in downtown has two working studios, a rock music album designer and a bronze sculptor. “There is something said for the whole shopping experience when you can go into the studio and actually find the artist of the work you are looking at. The city’s mission statement is to nurture the healing, visual and performing arts.”
D’Vine Wine, a boutique winery specializing in custom wines, is a new shop in Manitou.
Other new businesses moving into spaces on Ruxton Avenue include Italian Ice; Earth, Wind and Sky; and a business that relocated from The Citadel mall called Celtic Celebrations. “Vacancies on average last maybe 30 days and people snap them up,” Clemens said. “Our outlook is to continue to thrive as we undergo our revitalization efforts. We are on phase four which will take us to Marilyn’s Pizza just east of The Loop restaurant. It is a five phase project.”
Franchises
FRANdata, which focuses exclusively on franchising in the United States, has a database of 240,000 franchised unit locations representing 1,100 franchise brands.
According to FRANdata, franchise factors are changing and those in the industry should reconsider some long held assumptions, ensuring access to information and approaching 2008 with a little more creatively.
Suggestions include using franchisee unit performance as a benchmark, involving the 20-something age group when considering different programs and making sure prospective franchisee financial qualification criteria are aligned with what preferred banks are using.
Technology
Megan Conniff, Shop.org SmartBrief lead editor, said the upcoming year will present many challenges and opportunities for the retail industry.
“As Congress and U.S. courts examine the issues of click fraud, Net neutrality, online privacy and credit-card security, online retailers, in turn, will be tackling those issues with consumers,” she said. “The coming year also will present new opportunities for updated Web 2.0 features and online retailers will continue to experience and test the potential of blogs, social networking and mobile retailing.”
According to a Shop.org SmartBrief survey, 84 percent of companies expect to spend more money for interactive marketing in 2008. Also, 30 percent expect mobile retail to be more important and 27 percent expect social networking and search-engine optimization to be important. Joan.Johnson@csbj.com |
