All stories about "Cb2"

Weekend Sale Report

Downtown
· Temperley: Saturday 11am—7pm; Sunday noon—6pm. 453 Broome St at Mercer St, second floor (212-219-2929).
· United Bamboo: Saturday noon—7pm. 217 Centre St between Grand and Hester Sts, sixth floor (212-925-3311).
· Staerk, Fluxus, Ya Ya Aflalo, The Smooth Company: Saturday, Sunday noon—8pm. Openhouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry St between Kenmare and Spring Sts (no phone).
· Stella McCartney: Saturday 11am—7pm; Sunday 12:30—6pm. 429 W 14th St at Washington St (212-255-1556).
· Alice Roi: Saturday 3—8pm; Sunday 2—6pm. 27 Canal St between Ludlow and Essex Sts (212-673-5753).
· Alexander Wang: Saturday 10am—7pm. 386 Broadway between Walker and White Sts, third floor (212-532-3103).

Midtown and Brooklyn sales, this way. >>

TONY Tackles The City's Best New Shops

Korres in Soho. Photo via TONY

In their latest issue, Time Out New York's shopping section offers a pretty comprehensive look at the most noteworthy stores that have opened recently in NYC. Though there are plenty of shops TONY's editors rave about, they do criticize a few. The MePa Apple store, CB2 and Muji are all deemed disappointing, Apple for its "humdrum layout" (no mention of the lack of restroom facilities?) and Muji for, well, everything:

...despite the lack of frills and flashy packaging, its housewares, office supplies and furniture were still pricey enough to send us into sticker shock. And too much of the smallish shop is filled with misguided clothing—who needs Yohji Yamamoto–esque crinkled shirts in a lackluster palette?

Oh snap. The entire article is worth a look, if only to see a good deal of the past year of Racked's new store coverage tidily summed up on three pages.
· Market Watch [TONY]

Storecasting: CB2 Movin' On Up to the East Side?

[Photo via Property Shark]

Crate & Barrel, not content with only one NYC outpost of younger sibling CB2, is looking northward for the offshoot's next location. Racked sources report that the retailer is eyeing the space that currently houses a gigantic Barnes & Noble at 240 East 86th; the bookseller is vacating the space in about a year and moving across the street. Leases haven't been signed yet, so keep your fingers crossed.
UPDATE: We hear that the retailer has decided against taking the space. Sorry UESers.
·Now Open: CB2 Brightening Up Broadway [Racked]

Racked Recap: The Year In...Turbulent Retail Stretches

It's been a big year for New York City retail (and not just because Racked was born in March). This week, we'll relive the glorious highlights and gruesome lowlights. We've recapped the year's most ridiculous lines, saddest goodbyes, most menacing retail presences and the most notable Street Scenes. Now, we're tackling the year's most turbulent retail stretches.

Opening day at the Apple Store on 14th Street and Ninth Avenue

While stores come and go all over this town, this year there were a few neighborhoods that really evolved (or devolved, depending on your perspective). The following four ‘hoods were hotbeds of retail activity…

4) 14th Street in MePa: A ginormous new Apple Store had us christen the entire neighborhood the "iPacking District," but it wasn't the only arrival MePa weathered this year. Diane von Furstenberg's spectacular flagship opened in May, bringing chic wrap dresses to 14th and Washington. In September, word leaked that Hugo Boss would be taking space on 14th right next door to Apple (the store is still under construction). Meanwhile, we awaited new flagships for Poleci and Ports nearby. Though the 'hood welcomed many newcomers this year, it also lost delicious pastry purveyor Little Pie Company and housewares shop Bodum, which may or may not be relocating to Soho.

Numbers three, two and one, this way. >>

Times Visits Muji, Pronounces it Worthy

Even the Times is enamored with Muji. The paper devotes considerable space today to the Japanese chain's first US outpost on Broadway, which is one of our favorite new stores. Filing as Critical Shopper, Mike Albo is clearly swept away with the place's pleasant understatedness:

Everything here seems a necessity — stationery, bedding, flatware, rain gear — so that for once in your consumer holiday journeying, you can shop for gifts and convince yourself you are not being a slop pig. I fell in with other shoppers, all of us quietly marveling at the simplicity of each object, touching them with our fat American fingers.

He's as excited at the clothing as at the simple household items, stating: "The clothes here simmer with potential. I felt as if I was standing in American Apparel, circa 2004, or Benetton, circa 1993." We were there last night, and it is, as Albo states, a great place to buy gifts. And the quiet, neutrally-hued environment made the CB2 next door seem almost garish. What impressed us on this last trip: if it's drizzly out, they carefully cover your shopping bag with a little plastic raincoat (pictured). It's the little touches that count. Also, the socks really are that great.
· The Civilized World Finds a Refuge [NY Times]
· Showing You the Muji: On Why to Love The Muji [Racked]

Show Me The Muji!: CB2 Absorbes Muji's Overflow

What do to when the line at Muji is so long that it wraps around the store and all those socks you had your eye on are gone? Head next door to CB2. The furniture store seems to be attracting an overflow crowd from Muji, either because the Muji store is bursting at the seams at present or because those who hit Muji expecting to find sofas, beds and the like were somewhat disappointed. Note that in the above photo of CB2, there is a gentleman clearly HOLDING MUJI BAG. To the staff at CB2: that's gotta sting a bit.
· Show Me the Muji!: Everyone's at Muji [Racked]
· Show Me The Muji!: And The Public Goes Wild! [Racked]
· Show Me The Muji!: The Doors Are Open! [Racked]

On The Omnipresence Of Tord Boontje

He's done a collaboration with Target, his creations can be found in big-name design stores like Moss and DWR and he's just released a book. Dutch-born designer Tord Boontje is flying pretty high right now. But we can help but be sick of his laser-cut flowery lamps and curtains, which are everywhere. While taking a walk around the new CB2 yesterday morning, we groaned to ourselves when we noticed the man's trademark lacey Tyvek creations at the front of the store. It's not that Boontje isn't talented—he is. But these pieces are starting to feel a little passé. Do designs like these have an expiration date?

Photo of the "Until Dawn" curtain via CB2

Now Open: CB2 Brightening Up Broadway

At 10am this morning, the doors swung open at 451 Broadway in Soho and customers streamed trickled into CB2, Crate & Barrel's younger, hipper offshoot. The atmosphere inside the store was calm, but there was an undercurrent of excitement as CB2 execs watched a gaggle of New York shoppers browse the merchandise. The space was impeccably clean, well-laid-out and stocked with just about everything you'd need to furnish an apartment. They're charging $69 for unlimited furniture delivery in the NYC area, which is considerably cheaper than what you'd pay to get your Ikea finds home.

Let's take a look at the merchandise. >>

Now (Almost) Open: CB2 Gets Signage On Broadway

Tomorrow's the big opening day for furniture store CB2's Soho location at 451 Broadway, the company's first outside of Chicago. A tipster, who sent the above photo, writes: "Signage is up, and the store is full of merchandise and what looks like staff. They are ready for business!" It's no Red Hook Ikea, but we still expect the place to be mobbed.
· Storecasting: Scaffolding Down at CB2 in Soho [Racked]
· Storecasting: CB2 Nears The Finish Line In Soho [Racked]
· Storecasting: CB2 Apologizes For Delays, Plus More Developments [Racked]

Storecasting: Scaffolding Down at CB2 in Soho

The block of Broadway just below Grand Street in Soho is about to undergo the most exciting two weeks of its retail existence. Above, at left, the scaffolding has indeed come down at Manhattan's first CB2, Crate and Barrel's younger, hipper, sibling. And at right, as we noted earlier today, the paper has come off the window at Manhattan's first Muji, the Japanese design outpost. Of course you know all this already. But this bears repeating: both stores are now trumpeting opening dates on their facades. CB2 will go first, throwing open its doors next Tuesday, November 6, at 10am; Muji follows a bit more than a week later, opening on Friday, November 16, at noon. Needless to say, we'll be liveblogging from this block from now until at least Black Friday.

Ahead: two more views of the CB2 facade gettings its scrubdown on. >>

Storecasting: CB2 Nears The Finish Line In Soho

Behold: drywall

Behind a front of vertiginous orange plywood, construction workers are toiling away to finish up New York City's first CB2 at 451 Broadway between Grand and Howard Streets. The store is expected to open on November 6th; above is a shot of the interior taken on Friday. Looks a bit unfinished, especially since we're talking about an opening date that's in two weeks' time, but we think they can pull it off. That means that the brand's streamlined sofas and minimalistic beds will be landing in Soho just in time for the holiday shopping rush. Gird your loins, West Elm.

Continue reading "Storecasting: CB2 Nears The Finish Line In Soho"

Storecasting: CB2 Apologizes For Delays, Plus More Developments

1) Soho: Crate & Barrel's younger, hipper offshoot CB2, whose orange plywood now looms over Broadway, has just sent out an email apologizing for its delayed opening. Though the company doesn't want to give an exact date, our sources say they are now aiming for November 6th. [Racked Inbox]

2) Midtown East: Master of cute, wearable womenswear BCBG Max Azria is readying his third NYC outpost at 40th Street and Fifth Avenue. Though Guerilla Shopper, who mentioned the store's presence yesterday, remarked that "a quick peek inside the joint tells me that there's still a while to go until this latest palace of retail therapy opens to the public," a call to the brand's Soho location reveals that the shop may open as early as this weekend. [Racked Staff; Guerilla Shopper NYC]

3) Flatiron District: WWD has details about Storecasting vet Journelle: the "2,000-square-foot lingerie store set to open in the FlatIron District here in December is for women who prefer lacy to racy. 'It's a store for women who wear lingerie for themselves,' said founder Claire Chambers." It will be nothing like Victoria's Secret, says Chambers, who plans to stock high-end undie brands like Araks, Cosabella and Eberjey and offer "white-glove service." [WWD, subscription req]

More stores coming to Soho and Nolita, this way. >>

Thursday AM Clickage

CB2's bright orange presence in Soho. Photo Femia, 09/30/2007

Local
· Starbucks looking to leave Brooklyn Heights? [Brooklyn Eagle]
· H&M on 42nd St "packed with regular guys looking for good threads" [NY Times]

National
· Handbag company Bulga to launch denim line [WWD, subscription req]
· Cat toys get stylish [NY Times]
· Designer Yves Saint Laurent in poor health [NY Post]
· Men re-embracing the necktie [NY Times]
· The Beyoncé cell phone launches [NY Post]
· Brightly-colored sneakers esp. popular these days [NY Times]
· Kate Spade has a new creative director, former Banana Republic exec Deborah Lloyd [WWD, subscription req]

CB2 Front Runner For Chelsea Barnes & Noble Space?

Yesterday, we asked you, the Racked reader, to predict which retailer will move into the space currently occupied by Barnes & Noble at 675 Sixth Avenue in Chelsea (the store's lease is up next spring). Among the many guesses, these entries stood out:

1) Commenter Judy wrote: "Just got off the phone with a friend in Chicago and it looks like Crate and Barrel is looking at the location for a second CB2 store in New York. They would be competing with the nearby West Elm, BB&B, and the container store."

2) Reader Matt squashed hopes for both a Target and a Nordstrom: "While it's a fairly sprawling space, it's not big enough for a big store like a Target. The average baseline Target is 126,000 sq. ft. This is a third of that size. It's an awkward size--too big for a smallish store, and too small for a megastore. Similarly, I can't see Nordstrom going into that space. Bloomingdales SoHo (which is pretty small for a department store) is 124,000 sq. ft."

3) And, just for fun, this is from commenter "me": "i envision sort of a "bank mall" – where chase, citibank, b of a, wamu, north fork, hsbc, soveriegn, and the others all have outposts under one roof.... and i can just go from space to space and experience their wildly different atm's. mmmmm.... banking."

There you go, Faith Hope Consolo and Co. The public has spoken.
· Which Store Should Take The Chelsea Barnes & Noble Space? [Racked]
· Chelsea Barnes & Noble Space Officially On The Block [Racked]
· Barnes & Noble To Shutter Another Location [Racked]