Introduction to New York New York City is the most populous city in the US, with a population of 8.6 million, and a center for finance, fashion, art, music and much more. New York City also has one of the largest retail sectors in the world: Annual retail sales in New York exceed $250 billion and retailers employ more than 941,000 people in over 77,000 establishments, according to the Retail Council of New York State. New York’s Retail Landscape New York’s retail landscape is changing quickly. In some ways, the changes happening in the nation’s shopping capital reflect what is happening across the country in retail. But many aspects are uniquely New York. First, the bad news: One of the most iconic symbols of New York shopping – Fifth Avenue – has seen an ongoing spate of flagship store closures, threatening the area’s position as the retail capital of the city. Tommy Hilfiger announced recently it would shutter its 22,000-square-foot global flagship location on Fifth Avenue. Tommy Hilfiger joins a long list of major retailers who have abandoned the increasingly pricey shopping strip: Starting with Ralph Lauren in 2017; more recently Gap, Henri Bendel and Lord & Taylor all announced they would close flagship stores on Fifth Avenue. Calvin Klein has said it will close its flagship store on Madison Avenue, just one block from Fifth Avenue. Now, the good news. Retail is not dead in New York. Far from it. It’s experiencing a rebirth of sorts, or more of a reincarnation into a different form: While big-name brands shutter flagship stores in pricey, high-profile areas, innovative concept stores are popping up all over the city’s trendy neighborhoods. As gentrification relentlessly makes more neighborhoods desirable, shopping follows. What we’re seeing is a reinvention of retail to focus on experiential stores, locations featuring new and innovative concepts and of course, increasing use of cutting-edge technology. What’s uniquely New York is that many are more edgy than you might find elsewhere in the US. Demographics New York City is and always has been a city of immigrants. According to the US Census Bureau, around 40% of the city’s population are immigrants, and many are involved in the retail trade. Almost 350,000 immigrant business owners accounted for 33.8% of entrepreneurs in New York in 2015 and their businesses generated revenues of $7.2 billion, according to the American Immigration Council. Top Five Shopping Districts

1. SoHo: You’ll find the usual suspects such as Banana Republic, Gap, H&M, and Victoria’s Secret, but walk into the side streets to find an array of high-end boutiques, as well as brands such as Off-White and Golden Goose.
2. Nolita: In Nolita you’ll find a mix of fashion forward shops, vintage-chic boutiques and well-known designers such as rag & bone, Vince., etc.
3. East Village: Vintage shops and hidden gems attract an alternative crowd, especially along St. Marks Place (8^th Street), which has a variety of jewelry stores, piercing shops and tattoo parlors. Head to nearby Orchard Street for unique Bohemian boutiques.
4. Upper East Side: All things luxury can be found along Madison Ave from 57^th street to 86^th
5. Meatpacking District: High-end designer stores such as Alexander McQueen and Christian Louboutin in old warehouses converted into stores.

Famous Retail Events New York Fashion Week: The world-famous fashion event takes place in February and September of each year. Countless events are held around the city to celebrate the variety and creativity of New York’s fashion industry. Some shows are open to the public (with a ticket), while others are exclusive for buyers, press and public figures. New York City Marathon: Held every year on the first Sunday in November, the New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world with an average of over 50,000 participants. Retailers tap into this event, such as New Balance as the official sponsor, creating marathon training gear. Tiffany & Co created a marathon-inspired collection with items such as wine glasses, paper weights, bracelets, cufflinks, rings, necklaces, key chains and more. The Shops at Hudson Yards Megaproject Hudson Yards opened on March 15, 2019. Dubbed a “vertical shopping experience,” the one-million square-foot shopping center has more than 100 stores, 25 cafés and restaurants, as well as the city’s first Neiman Marcus department store. The urban retail center is dominated by luxury retailers, but also includes emerging retail concepts. Some of the luxury names at The Shops at Hudson Yards include, Cartier, Christian Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and more. An emerging concept from San Francisco called Batch also opened its first New York store at The Shops at Hudson Yards – Batch rotates its product collection every two months and offers showroom space for e-commerce brands that want a brick-and-mortar experience. The Shops at Hudson Yards unveiled the Floor of Discovery on its second floor, home to digitally native brands as well as innovative concept stores, where Mack Weldon, M. Gemi, Rhone and more are housed. The floor also features a selection of innovative concept stores, such as The Drug Store, which creates a bar-like experience and has an unstaffed vending store. The Floor of Discovery also has more established brands trying out new concepts, such as a L’Oréal concept store, and a Muji store that features coffee services and an embroidery station.

10 Innovative Retailers

Showfields [caption id="attachment_82447" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: Coresight Research[/caption]   With its ambition to be “The Most Interesting Store in The World,” Showfields lives up to it with its uber-focus on in-store experience. Phase 1/street level opened in December 2018 and all four floors to the public in March 2019. The first floor is designed to be “Instagrammable,” featuring a combination of an art gallery, a café and of course, retail. The first floor seeks to bring traditionally online retailers into its brick and mortar retail concept store, such as Quip, Frank Body, Function of Beauty and more. The Coffee ‘n Clothes café on the first floor is a designer-inspired concept that draws inspiration from trends in culture, fashion and technology. The second floor is dedicated to lifestyle and home, featuring newcomers to the retail sector, such as Weezie (a direct to consumer towel company). Shopify has a dedicated space on the floor, in which it curates products from online merchants such as Aelfie, Baby Tress, Best Self Co, Coco and Breezy, Hudson Wilder, Meso Goods and Wild One. Shopify encourages brands work with other brands on the floor to sponsor giveaways and other promotional activities. The third floor is dedicated to Showfields x Future/Past, which features tech exhibits that consumers can touch and play with. One installation by Digital Being has a series of artwork created from technologies of the past. Another by Trevis True “creates objects, experience and coalitions that explore distortion in techno-meditated relationships,” as described by the company. CEO Tal Zvi Nathanel claims Showfields represents a “headacheless solution for retail that lowers the barriers from clicks to bricks.” Location: Showfields, 11 Bond Street, New York, NY, 10012. Nike House of Innovation 000 [caption id="attachment_82448" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: Nike.com[/caption]   Nike’s House of Innovation 000 spreads out over 68,000 square feet on six floors, each integrating innovative retail concepts. Its dynamic store environment is designed to create a unique shopping experience. Four innovative concepts make up the House of Innovation. The first is the Nike Speed Shop, which uses local (i.e., from that store) data to restock items and identifies local favorites. NikePlus members can reserve items and have them ready for pickup at an in-store locker. The Nike Expert Studio on the fifth floor offers consumers access to exclusive services such as a one-on-one appointment with a Nike expert – which can be scheduled through the app or in store. Consumers get a personalized styling session, as well as Nike by You services that let shoppers customize Nike products to fit their personal style. The Nike Arena is the “customization wing” of the store, a large area in which shoppers can customize products with laces, fabrics, decals and more. Sneaker customization can take 5-10 minutes but if you choose to do to a one-on-one with a Nike employee it could take 30 minutes to an hour. The Nike Sneaker lab is the world’s largest Nike footwear floor, stocked with all seasonally current shoes from stores all around the world. The Nike House of Innovation 000 exclusively offers the Noise Cancelling Collection, which drew inspiration from the noise of New York City – and a desire to block it out. The services throughout the store enhance the experience, such as Nike Shop the Look, which lets consumers can scan a QR code on a mannequin to view all the items displayed on the mannequin on their phones. Customers can even send the items to a fitting room or brought to them. Another feature is Nike Instant Checkout, which lets customers check out using Nike Scan, part of the NikePlus member app that allows cashierless checkout – just scan, pay and go. Nike Instant checkout stations are placed throughout the store, so customers can scan their items and get a receipt via the app. The House of Innovation 000 includes other services featured in other Nike stores, such as Nike Scan to Try, Nike Reserve, NikePlus Unlocks and more. Location: Nike House Of Innovation 000, 650 5^th Ave (between 51^st and 52^nd Streets), New York, NY 10019. Lululemon Lab [caption id="attachment_82449" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: lululemonlab.com[/caption]   Located in the NoHo neighborhood, the Lululemon Lab is a design concept space to showcase collections that relate to the city in which the lab is situated. The lab draws inspiration from its relationship with the city, such as weather patterns, commuting habits and the personality of the city. The color palette consists of black, white and grey – to match New York. The lab adds new items every two weeks, also displaying work from up and coming designers. The lab-store carries limited inventory: Usually only about 50 garments per design. The pieces exclusive to the Lululemon lab cost anywhere from $60-$450, and overall pricing is higher than at a regular Lululemon store. The designers who created the pieces are often present in the store, either in the working space at the back or walking around to collect consumer feedback. The pieces displayed in the store aren’t the typical collection: According to the lab’s head designer, Marcus Le Blanc, items are “a hybrid between function, wear, performance and ready-to-wear.” The items range from leggings and cropped tops to trousers and blazers – and the ready to wear items still have the same stretchy, moisture-wicking features. Athleisure taken to a new level. Location: Lululemon Lab, 50 Bond Street, New York, NY 10012. Dover Street Market [caption id="attachment_82450" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: newyork.doverstreetmarket.com[/caption]   The multi-brand retailer opened its first store in London in 2004. Dover Street Market has stores in Los Angeles, Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo, and has opened a New York location to celebrate creativity and push the boundaries of retail. Dover Street Market was created by Rei Kawakubo of Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons. Dover Street Market recently announced it will open its first dedicated beauty concept store in Paris in spring, selling the complete range of Comme des Garçons fragrances. There is detail and differentiation on each floor, designed to complement each retailer’s aesthetic. The seven-floor store collides streetwear and luxury – combining art, design and fashion. Twice a year the store rotates stock: New designers’ products replace existing ones and new art installations are added. The designers range from luxury to streetwear. Apart from everything mentioned above, the store also offers a great café. Location: Dover Street Market, 160 Lexington Ave (between 30^th and 31^st Streets), New York, NY 10016. Brooks Brothers [caption id="attachment_82451" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: Coresight Research[/caption]   Brooks Brothers is one of the oldest retailers in the United States, founded in 1818 and world renowned for its classic American style for men, women and children. Its dress shirts, navy blazers, suits and neckwear are iconic. The Brooks Brothers flagship is on Madison Avenue in New York City, where the company has integrated a golf course simulator which aligns with its brand identity. But to keep up with changing consumer preferences and the need to innovate to drive store traffic, the NY flagship now has a golf course simulator – introducing innovative, experiential shopping with the brand’s tradition. The simulator is next to the section that sells activewear, so customers can test the golf wear in the simulator. Even better, Brooks Brothers has one of Italy’s top golfers, Federico Frangiamore, on hand as a resident golf pro to assist customers when they try out the simulator. Sessions with Federico must be booked in advance. Location: Brooks Brothers, 346 Madison Ave (between 44^th and 45^th Streets), New York, NY 10017 CoverGirl [caption id="attachment_82452" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: covergirl.com[/caption]   CoverGirl recently opened a 10,000 square foot store in Times Square featuring experiential concepts. This is CoverGirl’s first physical store in over 60 years – and the two-floor store has integrated tech concepts. A Google AI greeter named Olivia meets customers at the door, starting the high-tech experience as soon as customers walk in. The store sells items such as yoga pants, umbrellas, bags and, of course, makeup. The store also features experiential concepts such as making a video in a photo booth and spaces that are picturesque throughout the store. Customers can use a virtual feature to “try on” makeup in AR glam stations (as well as actual stations at which customers can try on makeup on their skin). The shop also has a customization station for makeup bags and more. Location: CoverGirl, 719 7^th Ave (between 47^th and 48^th Streets), New York, NY 10036. Foot Locker [caption id="attachment_82453" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: stores.footlocker.com[/caption]   Foot Locker is a destination for all things athletic, from footwear to apparel to accessories. The store has an amazing selection for sneakerheads, catering to a wide variety of activities & sports. The store in Times Square is 17,000 square feet covering two floors, only about half of which is dedicated to Foot Locker. The store includes other shops such as House of Hoops, the Puma Lab, Adidas the Foundation, Timberland Legends Club, Converse Prime, Six:02 store, a Nike Fly Zone store and others. Sneakerheads will head over to Kith after Foot Locker. Kith was founded by sneaker designer, Ronnie Fieg, and has a cult following for its apparel, footwear collaborations. Kith is located on 337 Lafayette in Soho. Location: Foot Locker, 1460 Broadway (between 41st and 42nd Streets), New York, NY 10036. The RealReal  [caption id="attachment_82454" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: therealreal.com[/caption]   The RealReal is a luxury consignment start-up founded in 2011, a digitally native that expanded to physical retail with two stores, one in New York City’s Soho shopping district and the other in LA, California. CEO, Julia Wainwright, built the company out of her own home and believes consigning luxury products expands the marketplace of people who appreciate and experience. The products company sells second-hand goods that have been used lightly, and some new items with the tags still on – offering the appeal of a treasure hunt but for luxury shoppers. The RealReal is one of the few retailers that can satiate demand for a Hermès Kelly or Birkin bag today with its changing inventory of consigned handbags. Every product goes through an authentication process to make sure consumers are getting the real thing, including an authentication expert, horologists and gemologists. Apart from the brick and mortar store, The RealReal has consignment offices at which customers can drop off consignments or get a valuation for an item. In Store services in the SoHo location include free valuations, personal shopping and consignment drop off. The company has also integrated a small café into the store. Location: The RealReal, 80 Wooster Street, New York, NY, 10012. AUrate [caption id="attachment_82455" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: auratenewyork.com[/caption]   AUrate is a fine jewelry brand that focuses on durable materials, sustainable production and transparent pricing. The company launched as an e-commerce brand but now has two locations in New York City and one in Washington, DC. The showroom is by appointment only. AUrate went offline because it realized many customers want to feel jewelry and try it on before purchasing. Customers arriving for an appointment are greeted by an AUrate stylist to assist during the appointment to personalize the experience as much as possible. Some pieces that have not launched on the website are shown in the showroom to let consumers test out the jewelry and create excitement. The product range starts from classic staples all the way to statement pieces, seeking to keep pieces as original as possible. The company also incorporates a charitable aspect into the mix: For every item sold, AUrate gives a book to a child who otherwise might not have access. In 2018 the company launched Curate by AUrate, which lets stylists choose five pieces for the customer based on an online profile the customer fills out. Customers can wear the items for a week, return what they don’t want and are charged for the rest. Location: AUrate, 92 W Houston Street, New York, NY, 10012. 10 Corsco Como [caption id="attachment_82456" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Source: 10corsocomo.com[/caption]   10 Corsco Como is an Italian concept store with a mix of high-end and urban apparel brands, as well as books, art, interior items and more. The store was started in Milan by Carla Sozzani as a gallery for art and design, later adding a garden café and bookshop. The concept stores now feature a blend of  fashion, design, dining, art and music experiences. 10 Corsco Como has locations in Seoul, Shanghai, New York and Milan. The New York branch has apparel for men and women, featuring urban apparel brands as well as high-end brands – including pieces exclusive to New York not found in other 10 Corsco Como stores. The New York 10 Corsco Como store also includes a gallery, a garden café, bar, restaurant – and even a book section. Location: 10 Corsco Como, 1 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038. City Map Must-See Street: Elizabeth Street in Nolita Between East Houston and Kenmare street in the NoLIta Area, you can find Elizabeth Street – once a quiet side street that has recently turned into a trendy shopping strip filled with fashion forward boutiques. The street has attracted stores with niche designs from around the world. Some notable shops include:

1. Ministry of Supply: Professional clothing using high-tech fabrics to make clothes wrinkle and moisture free, as well as stretchy.
2. ba&sh: An experiential store offering chic pieces – with the option of borrowing an item for special events, as long they are returned by Monday 7 PM.
3. MALIN+GOETZ: Cosmetics store with high-quality product and beautiful packaging.
4. Unis: Designer Eunice Lee’s minimalist boutique that caters to men and women.
5. Erica Weiner: House-made jewelry, most of which is made from antiques – giving pieces a vintage touch.