Official: Urban Outfitters in North Downtown

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:20 am

When I look at that sign, my impression is... 'small financial commitment in untested market'.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:20 am

That's ok. I know you know how to party though. :banger: :cheers: :barf:

Post by **Brad** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:13 am

Stargazer wrote:When I look at that sign, my impression is... 'small financial commitment in untested market'.

Jeff, that just the trendy sign that people like you and I and and guy4omaha don't get

I did a google search, the all look similar. Actually ours looks somewhat better than others. I guess its good for the city, but I won't be spending my money there(I am set in my ways I guess).

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:04 am

You guys are crazy; the sign looks sweet. From now on, I'm going to call you "Old Omaha". We, on the other hand, will be called "New Omaha."

Get out of New Omaha, you Old Omaha! :P

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:06 am

Actually, Urban Outfitters is known for almost all of their signs being different in some way. Given that, I think ours if really cool (and yeah...you guys probably don't "get it" :;): ) in the way the letters are painted over the brick column.

Here are some different pictures I found doing a basic google image search.

And here's one I took this past summer in Montreal.

Bobcat · Post by **Bobcat** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:28 pm

Stargazer, I think your impression is correct. Streets, Thanks for the images. The most noticeable difference is that most of your examples actually have some dimension to them and are fabricated and often times lighted. The Omaha sign is simply painted on ... for now.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:41 pm

There are a dozen lights focused on the Omaha sign.

I would take our sign over most of the others that streets posted.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:49 pm

Yeah ours is better than 3/4ths of those. Your guys heads are full pecans!

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:46 pm

I'm just glad they didn't go with the "broken glass" look that's shown in the Montreal pic and is the facade of choice at several of the Chicago-area stores.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:23 pm

I think the one in Lawrence, KS too.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:57 pm

Yeah, I'm glad we didn't get the broken glass windows.

I really like the painted sign, as I've said. It's different and unique. Truth be told though, that's probably just the company's current "sign concept" that's going on any urban outfitters that opens up this year. I don't know.

Either way, I think it looks great, and will look really cool at night.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:04 pm

It reminds me of the old fashioned signs painted all over the Old Market. That looks more "urban" than the big 3D signs.

guy4omaha · Post by **guy4omaha** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 2:39 am

Brad wrote:There are a dozen lights focused on the Omaha sign.

I would take our sign over most of the others that streets posted.

Just so I don't lose my status as the most in the minority.... I think our sign is the worst of all the signs. I actually liked most of the other cities' signs. Maybe ours will grow on me. .... or maybe it is only temporary until a permanent sign is installed.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 2:54 am

Show of hands among our old.....I mean.....people who don't like the sign

....how many have actually been to an Urban Outfitters and understand its concept?

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:43 am

Haha...

cosmoguy · Post by **cosmoguy** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:22 am

I think the thing to remember about UO is that they are a chain that tries not to look like a chain. The clothing is retro, rock'n'roll and hippie chic. The clothes they sell are similar to what everyone wears in Austin - a mecca for urban hipsters, rock bands, and granola folks. I think it fits.

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:37 am

The sign is all the way painted today. I wondered for a sec if they were done with it. :oops: I think there's plenty of hippy/rock band/emo/granola etc here in Omaha to fully support this store.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:32 pm

cosmoguy wrote:The clothes they sell are similar to what everyone wears in Austin - a mecca for urban hipsters, rock bands, and granola folks.

Hahaha.

I'm just picturing all the hipster state senators, going to work in their rocker jeans, in this "mecca" where everyone wears hip, urban fashions. :roll:

xxtyderxx · Post by **xxtyderxx** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:02 am

I don't know if this is posted on the site anywhere, but in Homer's they have a flier for a DJ at the grand opening of Urban this Saturday (the store itself opens this Thursday).

cosmoguy · Post by **cosmoguy** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 5:33 am

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:
cosmoguy wrote:The clothes they sell are similar to what everyone wears in Austin - a mecca for urban hipsters, rock bands, and granola folks.
Hahaha.

I'm just picturing all the hipster state senators, going to work in their rocker jeans, in this "mecca" where everyone wears hip, urban fashions. :roll:

Right... cuz I'm sure you know sooo much more about Austin than someone who actually lives here. How could I forget that the majority of people who live in Austin and vacation here are state senators? Nice try, but last I checked, the reason we're one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. and one of the top places for Young People/Singles has to do with the whole "Keeping Austin Weird" thing and "Live Music Capitol of the World" scene. Those "state senators" are the main attendees of Austin City Limits and SXSW, of course. Oh, and did I mention that a country singer ran for governor and a transvestite ran for mayor!?! BTW, I wear flipflops to a corporate job and it's encouraged! Last time I tried wearing them to my job in Omaha, I was written up. So, thanks for the rude and ignorant eye roll, but I'll just go ahead and use my own little "cute" facial expression fitting to someone who lives in Austin

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:14 am

No it's just that you were incorrectly and MISLEADINGLY making it sound like Austin is the center for hipster/"cool people" fashion and culture (I believe the word "mecca" was used), as if someplace like Urban Outfitters is taking notes.

While I hate generalizations, in some ways I consider myself part of the group you mentioned (except the granola hippies, who are often erroneously grouped with hipsters and liberal urbanites), and I don't give a |expletive| about what's going on in Austin, especially if the city categorizes itself like you just did, like "oh, it's basically a mecca for hipsters and rock bands."

And as far as the music scene, I definitely say it's quality over quantity...and Austin may have one, but not the other.

But don't get the wrong idea, I don't have anything against Austin.

OmahaJaysCU · Post by **OmahaJaysCU** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:04 pm

I'd be willing to bet that once UO opens, we will begin to hear more rumors about other possible retailers for the area. Remember the quote from the initial article, "we aren't going in this alone." I suspect we should hear more soon.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:44 am

I agree. I'm surprised there haven't been more rumors and flat out announcements ever since UO announced its plans. This district is a |expletive| sure thing.

I'm sure there are a lot of things being worked on behind the scenes. I'd expect some big announcements over this winter and into the spring.

Anyway, I drove past today, and they have a TON of stuff inside, and pretty much all the window visuals are done. It looks freaking great. I'm so excited!

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:48 am

This district is a |expletive| sure thing.

Funny (or not)... I've always thought just the opposite. I sure hope it's a success. Does Omaha have enough of you guys to keep UO in business... isolated, all alone, where it is? I sure hope so. I'll never shop there... but I recognize it's a great get for Omaha.

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:05 am

Well my daughter expects to hit it when she comes for Christmas --- of course she is only 16 -- so I will probably be paying the bill. :?

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:06 am

Stargazer wrote:
This district is a |expletive| sure thing.
Funny (or not)... I've always thought just the opposite. I sure hope it's a success. Does Omaha have enough of you guys to keep UO in business... isolated, all alone, where it is? I sure hope so. I'll never shop there... but I recognize it's a great get for Omaha.

Yes. There's enough of us. I know your kids wouldn't know any of us since they're all getting straight As and |expletive|.

ricko · Post by **ricko** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:56 am

This IS a great get for Omaha.

Bought my 18 year old nephew a gift card from OU last week at the store near where I work (McLean, Va.). Hadn't been in one since that 6-month period in 1985 when I thought I was cool (gawd!). It's pretty expensive (oh, the price of cool-ness!), but I hope it proves to be a magnet for the neighborhood. Now, someone needs to figure out how to build affordable housing for the off-campus/20-something crowd and create some energy/life down there. So, go buy some stuff already.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:35 am

Nice try, but last I checked, the reason we're one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. and one of the top places for Young People/Singles has to do with the whole "Keeping Austin Weird" thing and "Live Music Capitol of the World" scene

That's a reason, not the reason. It's an inexpensive sunbelt city that is seeing a lot of California refugees and economic growth partly through job transfers there and partly through its own economic boom. Surely you don't think that Phoenix's growth rate is 4% higher than Austin's solely because people want to get in on the city's widely known single-family stucco housing scene, do you?

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:36 am

What does that have to do with ANYTHING. Anyway, if you want to keep comparing Austin to Phoenix... by all means go ahead. :P

Jeff, the area IS a sure thing. That's why Urban Outfitters is such a get. While the Slowdown development is "standing alone" right now, they've done an AMAZING job of creating a diverse set of destinations in their mere two-block area. The area is already its own little pocket of activity with the music club and the theater, and UO and Blueline aren't even open yet, and there's still one more bay to be spoken for, and to my knowledge no one has moved into the apartments yet.

Anyway, you point out that it's standing alone. But that's the thing... Urban Outfitters DON'T stand alone. Having them there is the "guarantee stamped on the box."

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:46 am

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:What does that have to do with ANYTHING. Anyway, if you want to keep comparing Austin to Phoenix... by all means go ahead. :P

It...it has to do with the quote in the quote box! I'm helping you...sort of! I'm just trying to say that it is illogical that, since 2000, 263,000 weird single people moved to Austin so they could go to a plethora of live shows.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:51 am

While I'm confident this area will thrive...from a business perspective (the kind of perspective that national clothing stores have), this area is about as far away from a sure thing as you can get. Urban Outfitters is taking a huge risk moving into such a new (and currently low populated and foot trafficed) area. Of course this likely made lots of other clothing stores take notice, but what they are waiting to see now is if UO succeeds.

My guess is that we won't see any announcements until sometime towards the end of the next fiscal quarter, or perhaps even another quarter after that. My estimation is that the soonest we'd hear something would be next March, but more likely not until next May or June.

It's important to keep in mind that any further development likely won't just be commercial, but also real estate in nature...and real estate deals are notoriously slow to congeal.

cosmoguy · Post by **cosmoguy** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:25 pm

I'm getting really bored with this subtopic. My initial point is that the clothing at UO is hip and rock'n'roll: an attitude for which Austin is known. Saddle Creek is a perfect fit. That's all I'm saying, and I'm not going to say anything more. It's lame to have to defend my harmless initial statement. And btw, there is a HUGE difference between Austin's growth as a sunbelt city versus Phoenix's growth. There is much more of an emphasis in Austin on high-density, sustainable living. And NOW...I'm bored.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:27 pm

I completely see what you're saying, Bob. It was VERY risky for Urban to come into that area...but thank |expletive| they did!

I guess what I'm saying is, yes, it's risky and unsure for THEM (UO), but simply by the nature of them BEING there makes it not risky for others to come into the area. Their "risky" venture has created a "non-risky" atmosphere for others to come in and develop the area.

It's the damn "chicken/egg" scenario, and Urban Outfitters, with a little encouragement from Saddle Creek, had the balls to be the first retailers in the district (and downtown!).

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:01 pm

Of course, again, I am VERY much hopeful that UO will succeed in North Downtown... and act as an anchor to draw other businesses there (even if they're of the variety I won't frequent... fully acknowledging the need to keep the so-called 'creative class' happy).

What I am a little worried about however, if it SHOULD fail... due to a lack of traffic... is that it could mean that the Omaha market in general loses Urban Outfitters... which would be a travesty when one considers, that it might have done significantly better... if it had located in the suburban market in the first place.

It's a gamble... I hope it pays off... I will be disappointed if Omaha loses out on this cool store because it fails.

OmahaJaysCU · Post by **OmahaJaysCU** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:11 pm

My biggest concern is that UO won't wait this out. If this place bombs the first year, I hope they have are willing to wait for everything else to develop. I mean it is pry going to be 10 years before this place becomes even half of what most of us want it to be.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:22 pm

The City of Omaha sold an economic plan to UO and SC Records, there must have been more than a little incentives to convince them to invest in this area, maybe even some guarantees to risk their businesses. They have to be actively seeking other partners to convert this area into the Pearl District.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:01 pm

Stargazer wrote:...when one considers, that it might have done significantly better... if it had located in the suburban market in the first place.

Absolutely not. With a store like Urban Outfitters, it doesn't matter WHERE you put it, because it's going to draw from the whole region. I'm thankful (and it just makes sense, really) that they have come Downtown.

Anyway, sure the first year or two will be a little slow, but I still think they're going to do fabulously at that location. I certainly plan on contributing a pretty good chunk of my expendable income to them. :D

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:32 am

Stargazer wrote:When I look at that sign, my impression is... 'small financial commitment in untested market'.

That's funny, considering the sign is probably the least expensive part of any store (even the really expensive signs).

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:36 pm

Absolutely not. With a store like Urban Outfitters, it doesn't matter WHERE you put it, because it's going to draw from the whole region. I'm thankful (and it just makes sense, really) that they have come Downtown.

Anyway, sure the first year or two will be a little slow, but I still think they're going to do fabulously at that location. I certainly plan on contributing a pretty good chunk of my expendable income to them

I hope you're right Aaron!

That's funny, considering the sign is probably the least expensive part of any store (even the really expensive signs).

In this case certainly. To the average small space retail lessee, where there is no investment in the structure itself... I would expect a good sign would be a considerable part of their budget, and of course, the first impression they project. But then this is Urban Outfitters... where their average creative clientele look beyond such petty things (that and the price tag... what a margin! is UO a publicly traded company?

).

UNOstudent · Post by **UNOstudent** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:33 pm

Urban Outfitters URBN

It has done about 700% in the last 5 years.