A-List Shopping in Downtown: The Case of Rittenhouse Row

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So, an article in this morning’s Philadelphia Inquirer (below) really got me going, as it perpetuates a false narrative about prospects for TRADITIONAL SHOPPING IN OUR DOWNTOWNS. To his credit, the writer (of whom I am a fan) is trying to reverse the perception that “retail is dead” in Center City. His argument focuses mainly on the ongoing proliferation of food and beverage concepts along with the newer trend of “competitive socializing”, with reference to the oft-cited “experiential” component — which is undeniably a good thing. However, he mostly ignores the pandemic-era rise of Center City’s Rittenhouse Row corridor as one of the nation’s must-have locations for today’s A-list brands (along with Boston’s Seaport District, D.C.’s Georgetown, Chicago’s West Loop, San Francisco’s Hayes Valley, etc.). There, one finds an ever-expanding roster that includes Warby Parker, Glossier, Outdoor Voices, Faherty, Marine Layer, Apple, Lululemon, Alo Yoga, Athleta, Aritzia, Madewell, Free People, Gorjana, Aesop and Bluemercury, among many others. Instead, the article largely defaults to the old saw that consumers now do their shopping online. Part of this, as I’ve noted before, is rooted in perspective lag: since the mid-2010’s, we’ve been witnessing a real changing-of-the-guard in retail, with many “legacy” brands — which Gen X’ers and Boomers grew up with — giving way to newer, emerging ones that resonate more deeply with Millennials and Gen Z’ers. It is taking some time, though, to let go of the former, even when, as in the case of the Gap (referenced in this article as well as countless others), the brand has been struggling mightily to regain its relevance for years. That may be understandable, but it should not be taken to mean that brick-and-mortar shopping in such settings is no longer viable. Granted, only a select few can hope for a tenant mix like Rittenhouse Row’s, but most Downtowns can support it in some form and to some degree – if the right opportunities are identified and leveraged.