nation brands
Posted by Barry Silverstein on November 5, 2009 03:35 PM
Paul Revere's ride warning that "the British are coming" is taking on a whole new meaning in Beantown. In just the last several weeks, three British brands have appeared on Newbury Street, Boston's fashionable shopping district.
Newbury Street is a charming, narrow street with a European feel in Boston's downtown. It is littered with quaint restaurants and elegant boutiques. But like many urban retail districts, it has been hard hit recently. In the last year, there has been a mass exodus of retailers. "In one four-block stretch, there are now at least 16 vacancies," the Boston Globe reports.
Nevertheless, British brands Ben Sherman (clothing designer), Ted Baker (fashion boutique), and Hotel Chocolat (gourmet chocolate) have all opened on Newbury Street within the past month. Realtor Tom Brennan of C. Talanian in Boston says it's because "merchants abroad are willing to try and test out the market here with the exchange rate and the rents down 15 to 20 percent compared to two years ago."
Hotel Chocolat's Newbury Street store is its first in the United States, and it fits nicely with both the quirkiness and sophistication of the area. "A bicycle with a British flag beckons consumers inside where employees serve up samples of milk and dark chocolate on silver platters," Abelson writes.
Newbury Street is also home to Agent Provocateur, a British lingerie brand that opened a store last year.
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