June 19, 2011 @ 11:38 pm
Fashion Is Not What It Used To Be On The Lower East Side
In the past, just about any neighborhood in NYC was a great location for new fashion designers. If you were able to manage to pay the sky high rents, and you offered a wide selection of eclectic products, you would be able to make a small fortune. Now, it seems that shoppers in Manhattan are a lot choosier about the places that they frequent. SoHo is still as popular as ever, but the Lower East Side is anything but chic. Lesser known retailers have been forced to close their doors because consumers are going elsewhere.
No matter what your personal tastes are, you will always be able to find a clothing store in NYC that suits your needs and fits your budget. Some of the most well known fashion hubs are going out of business because shoppers aren’t as impulsive. Even the cost of a metrocard has had a huge effect on the number of consumers that come to the Lower East Side. When you have a choice between getting off in SoHo and knowing that you will find something that you like versus going to the Lower East Side, the choice is obvious.
Some designers have managed to hang on by launching websites and holding sidewalk sales, but even they know that the inevitable is unavoidable. Although the rent for commercial space is slightly less in the Lower East Side when compared to other neighborhoods, retailers also have to think about if they will be able to post the profits that they need to survive.
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