May 08 2008
Baltimore Shopping Getting Better with Opening of Boutiques
A new men’s and women’s boutique opening soon on Charles St. in Federal Hill will be joining a handful of other recently opened stores in Baltimore from Canton and Fells Point to Federal Hill.? The new store, to be called Whimsy (for Women) and Reason (for Men) will fill the gap for the young professional crowd that are? 1.? currently under-served by other retailers, 2. who are tired of driving to Towson, and? 3. who refuse to go to Wal-Mart or Rainbows (for instance).?
Visit the website: http://whimsyreason.com/
Clothing stores that cater to the young professional and the more upscale are particularly lacking in Baltimore City and result in many gripes by local residents.? Part of the problem is that retailers typically look at the Baltimore Demographic as a whole, so the median income is driven way down by the extreme? poverty and unemployment in certain areas of the city.? While some retailers have capitalized on the large pockets of wealth (think Safeway and Whole Foods), clothing retailers and department stores have been behind the curve.? Even though Filene’s is making a foray into the downtown area with their discount Filene’s Basement, and the fact that Harbor East developer H&S is seeking an upscale retailer like Neiman Marcus, it seems that these types of boutiques may be our best hope.? Should they be successful, other small retailers will follow, then maybe some major retailers.? But then again…who’ll need the major retailers if we’ve got all these cool little shops around?
2 Comments to “Baltimore Shopping Getting Better with Opening of Boutiques”
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Once the little guy shows there is a market in Baltimore, the big guys will move in and squash the little guy. It is the American way. This is the Walmarting and Targeting of America. It amazes me that there is excitement about a Target potentially going up in Canton. I do my best to shop locally whenever I can. That is harder and harder as the big guys capture more business because America wants quantity cheap. When you buy local, more of your money stays local. The more you shop local the more local people will feel they can open a business and survive and your choices will grow. Shop at an independent business whenever you can!
The sign on the door of Whimsey/Reason says that the grand opening will be Wednesday May 14th.