Nordstrom's New Neighbor Could Be Target

Buying clothing from a department store and necessities from a bargain retailer in the same trip is something many people can do in the same day. In fact, many can make these purchases in only two car rides. What the Urban Land Institute predicts, however, is that a consumer will make the two stops with only a few strides in between. Unlikely? Not anymore.Using Target and Nordstroms and the Irvine Spectrum as examples, Keith Eyrich, president of the Irvine Company Retail Properties, says, " 'The demographic of the two stores is about identical. Retail sociology isn't a science, it's an art. . . . I don't want to make a separate trip to shop for my shoes and my daughters' T-shirts.' "In addition to lowering the number of trips a consumer has to make, there is a considerable difference in what consumers are looking for during their shopping experience. "Shoppers today want something more than unrepentant malls filled with stores and restaurants, according to Paul Jacobs, chairman of the architecture firm RTKL Associates in Los Angeles. '[They want] an urbanistic environment. ' "

Thanks to Adam Weiss