Remember when the Townspeople in West Hartford were being told that there would be an "arts cinema" in Blue Back Square - and not just another movie house? and they were also being told that there would be no big box chain stores? especially ones that might compete with smaller mom and pop operations to put them out of business...
First there was Barnes and Noble - helping to kill off Bookworm, and now this fall there will be a Toys R Us Express in Blue Back Square, which no doubt will take business away from a town icon; Toy Chest.
Businesses, like Au Bon Pain and Homeward Bound have left Blue Back Square because they just weren't getting the traffic and sales that they anticipated. Other stores are just hanging on, especially in this economy.
Barbara Lerner, project marketing manager for Blue Back Square said, "While we have seen some businesses leave Blue Back Square, the promising news is that we have great interest from new retailers that can't wait to become part of the center's growth."
What she means is they need more smoke shops and liquor stores... ahem... wine bars, in order to attract sales. They also need big chain stores that can absorb revenue losses. Perhaps some day they will get a mix of stores that make some sense. Right now it seems to be a bit of a mish-mosh, and an expensive one at that.
Some days it is so dead in Blue Back Square that the retailers have to market to one another passing out coupons and samples in order to generate interest.
Even the wait to Cheesecake Factory is down to 15 minutes.
UPDATE: 1st quarter 2011 - the store closed. No surprise there.
3 WH Responses:
I live in WH but can only rarely shop at the Toy Chest due to their hours (no evenings, and limited w/e); I have to buy online, or drive to the other ToysRUs. The Toy Chest provides a very wide range of products (including furniture); they are quite knowledgable about their high quality toys; and when possible, I try to go there. We have bought furniture there (rather than online) because we could see it and get opinions from the staff. We have also bought toys on staff recommendation. It is ALWAYS crowded when we go in. Somehow I just don't think they compete in the same niche. Plus, parking in the lot behind is free for 30 minutes - about the time you need to pick out a toy. Basically, the Toy Chest competes with internet retailers just fine, and doesn't offer the same plastic chrom they hawk at ToysRUs.
Importantly, you failed to mention that Umi Sushi Tapas - a non-chain, one-of-a-kind restaurant in CT - also opened in BBS this month.
Of course lines at Cheesecake are shorter - it's summer, no one is in town!
In the end, the entire BBS space could have been a Wal-Mart, or remained the polluted wasteland that it was. I'll take what's there. Let's try to be open to change.
I've watched Blue Back, and West Hartford in general, go down the toilet the past two years. Rollercoaster cuts? Gone, thankfully. Cigar shop? Get rid of it. Toys R Us Express? Garbage. I understand that times are tough, and that businesses don't get the traffic they need in Blue Back, but I miss the cosmetics shop that left, which I never got to go to, and the Verizon store, for convenience. I am grateful for the square, but they have to bring in businesses which will attract people, and not just crowds or deadbeats.
One can blame it on the economy, but when there is a traffic light that is about a full minute too long on South Main Street, that NOBODY has fixed, SINCE THE SQUARE OPENED, and everybody who comes to the intersection to cross on foot, stops and says to each other 'Wow, this light is long,' for THREE YEARS(!), then there is some personal responsibility somewhere. I don't know who makes these decisions, but they are poor ones.
Without incentive to go to Blue Back, no one will go.
When changes are negative, they are not justifiable.
wondering what to expect here in Quincy MA... The next development to be done by Street-Works (did they use that name in BBS?)...
Post a Comment