Tag Archives: retail in Ann Arbor

Pondering the death of retail as Urban Outfitters leaves Ann Arbor

Earlier this evening, having just read that Gap was planning to close approximately 200 stores over the next three years, I heard from my friend Jean that Urban Outfitters had decided not to renew the downtown Ann Arbor space that they’ve held for the past several decades. While I don’t suppose it’s that terribly surprising, […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Local Business, Marketing, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interview: Newcombe Clark

A week or so ago, in front of an audience at Conor O’Neills, I had the pleasure of conducting a live exit interview with Ann Arbor-born commercial real estate broker turned University of Michigan MBA Newcombe Clark, who will soon be leaving Michigan for Chicago. As there was still a great deal that we didn’t […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, History, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Special Projects | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 50 Comments

Making way for the further mallification of Ann Arbor, this month Eastern Accents, Herb David, and Mahek all cease operations

Cities are living things. They grow older, like all of us, and they change. They evolve, or they die. I get that. I’ve grudgingly come to accept that the best things in life are transient. That realization doesn’t make it any easier, however, to accept it when good things, that genuinely make me happy, go […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, History, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

Having won the title of World’s Best Comic Book Store, Ann Arbor’s Vault of Midnight plots global domination

After years of shopping at Ann Arbor’s much-beloved comic book shop Vault of Midnight, I finally had the occasion a few weeks ago, at an event hosted by Concentrate Media, to meet the store’s founder Curtis Sullivan. What started as a friendly conversation on the current state of Ann Arbor retail quickly escalated into an […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Art and Culture, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Pop Culture, Retail, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Joe Posch, owner of Detroit’s Hugh, on the realities of retail

A few days ago, the family and I ventured into Detroit, and, not only didn’t we die – we had a great time. And, while there, we dropped by our friend Joe Posch’s lovely new store, Hugh. What follows is a brief conversation between Joe and I on the idea behind the store, the challenges […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Detroit, entrepreneurism, Local Business, Shadow Art Fair, Ypsilanti | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

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