Fifty years ago, when , it marked a beginning of the migration of retail out of downtown. These days, that mall is struggling and customers may be heading back to Main Street. WKSU鈥檚 Kabir Bhatia looks at the future of retail in Akron.
In 1967, 鈥淏onnie and Clyde鈥� roared into theaters, including the then-new . The theater was joined in Akron鈥檚 first enclosed shopping mall by merchants like Recordland, Kroger鈥檚 and Gray Drug.
A half-century later, Chapel Hill sits more than half-empty. Its crosstown rival 鈥� Rolling Acres Mall 鈥� was shuttered years ago and is being demolished. And that鈥檚 presenting an opportunity once again for downtown shopping.
Lauren Ward owns .
鈥淢y customer is somebody who really seeks out something different and wants that local boutique feel. They don鈥檛 want to go to the mall. They want to support something different and unique. And they want an experience as well. They come in here because they know me and want to feel like they鈥檙e a part of something; not just supporting a big chain store.鈥�
Local products with a local feel
Ward opened her first location a decade ago and now has two locations downtown, offering a mix of vintage and new clothing. But she says local flavor is what sells best.
鈥淲e definitely sell the most of our 鈥楤ike Ohio鈥� T-shirts, especially being right here down by the . We just came out with a new one 鈥� it says 鈥楪ood Vibes鈥� in the kind of Goodyear-style font 鈥� and that has been going over really well, too.鈥�
Ward says that commitment to staying local and knowing her customers is what鈥檚 making downtown merchants successful. Christine Vadala with the agrees.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nothing new; we鈥檝e seen it for hundreds of years. But in a sense, it鈥檚 coming back to the home-maker. You鈥檙e seeing a definite shift in home-making versus, dare I say, China. That shift of having pride and ownership in something that was made locally far (exceeds) an international purchase.鈥�
In tandem with residential
Vadala also says scaling up retail in tandem with population 鈥� instead of having one wait for the other 鈥� is the best strategy for growing downtown. Back at Noto, Lauren Ward agrees, saying that what shoppers need are 鈥渄efinitely more fun shops like mine.鈥� While that may provide competition, she feels that鈥檚 the way to bring people to the area.
鈥淚f we had more clothing boutiques, more fun gift shops, book stores, more coffee; once we have more people in-place down here, the retailers will want to be here because there will be a need.鈥�
Ward says the renovation of the into apartments will definitely help. But 鈥� as she鈥檚 noted with all the foot traffic from the Towpath Trail 鈥� it also helps to have amenities and attractions nearby. , a professor of city and regional planning at Ohio State University, says Akron could capitalize on the trail as other cities have, since it runs alongside the .
鈥淒aylighting the canals would be hugely important; water is magic." He points to , "which has used their canals very, very well as focal points. [In] , the canal has the same function. ... We have to stop thinking in terms of retail space and thinking much more in terms of social space: Places where people can hang out and feel comfortable.鈥�
The downtown advantage
And then, he says, they鈥檒l shop. Chapel Hill seems to be trying to adapt to that thinking: the mall was sold last year and the new owners have brought back old favorites like Archie the Snowman and motorcycle displays as well as new attractions like motorized dinosaur shows.
But Hill says traditional shopping malls are going to find less success than downtown-like lifestyle centers such as in Westlake.
鈥淐rocker Park has street lights built into it; it鈥檚 more food-dependent than retail dependent and people will go for the experience and kind of incidentally shop. It鈥檚 not a good recipe; it鈥檚 about the only recipe.鈥�
And that鈥檚 the recipe Akron officials hope will bring shoppers back downtown.
Correction: This story previously stated Crocker Park is in Beachwood. It is located in Westlake.
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