Will CityCenterDC's Luxury Retail Formula Succeed Downtown?

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The Washington Post asks a question about high-end, mixed use project CityCenterDC that must be asked, considering its stacked entirely with pricey brands like Tumi, Burburry, Kate Spade, and Longchamp: "They've built it. Will we come? And, more to the point, will we buy?"

The Post article explores both the history of luxury shopping downtown — including beloved department stores like Woodie's and Hecht's — and how CityCenterDC's retail line up came to be, including some fascinating details about the developers' strategy. Which writer Roxanne Roberts describes as: "No drugstores, no discounters, no trendy teen hangouts, no tacky."

Instead, exclusive brands looking for D.C. market share were drawn in by the promise of street-level retail space downtown, surrounded by similar luxury companies who have signed 10-year leases. Now the question is whether lawyers, international tourists, and conventioneers will open their wallets for stores whose prices are out of reach for many D.C. shoppers.
· Luxury Shopping Returns to Downtown D.C.: Is Washington Ready to Buy? [WaPo]
· CityCenterDC Watch: Menswear Giant Paul Stuart Is Moving In [Racked DC]