Downtown Business Opportunities: Kaleidoscope Factory Outlet Mall
I believe if this next business opportunity could be pulled off, there could a huge impact on other downtown retailers and restaurants.
Opportunity: Kaleidoscope Factory Outlet Mall
Business Case: We’ve all seen the endless vacancies of this “downtown mall” for the past several years. It’s a tough economy and people are looking for bargains. Here’s the solution I pose to turn not only this mall around but bring a ton of business to nearby restaurants, including the food courts and other retail shops. Hubbell should go after and try to attract some factory stores that you find in outlet centers such as Banana Republic Factory Store, Nike Factory Store, Gap Factory Outlet, Kenneth Cole, Coach Outlet, etc. These types of stores always draw a good business regardless of the economy due to their great prices.
Since moving here six years ago, I still don’t understand why a city the size of Des Moines doesn’t have an outlet mall, sure we have 4 regular malls, but no outlet mall. If someone wants to travel to an outlet mall they have to drive a good two hours for just a small outlet center, but Des Moines residents have been taking their local money and spending it out of town. My favorite outlet mall is Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora.
These stores would be busy weekdays during the lunch hours while downtown workers shopped on their lunch breaks and people would come in during the evenings and weekends to shop. No longer would you hear the phrase I hate most “the skywalks killed retail sales” and from downtown residents and visitors “why is everything closed at 5pm weekdays and closed on the weekends?” Can you imagine the food court open at 8pm on Tuesday or 5pm on a Sunday? Wow!
Suggested Location: The Kaleidoscope Mall should be the hub of the outlet center, but I could see this spilling over to near by empty spaces such as the Bank of America retail space on the first floor and the 1st and 2nd floor retail space of the Younkers Building. Why not?
By MulderDSM
Rate this story:
(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
Loading ...Similar Posts:
- None found
Permalink | Trackback URL | 2,255 views
Posted under Living Downtown | Last modified on June 1st, 2009.
Tags: Business Opportunities
Subscribe to our 
Pete Jones - Desmoinesisnotboring.com on Tue, 2nd Jun 2009 1:56 pm
Larry – Great idea! You know the Hubbell gang will be at the YPC Impact event in conjunction with the DCA this Thursday….you could state your case face to face. Check out the Event Calendar at http://www.ypcdsm.com