Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A project to change the retail landscape

Assembly Row’s developer plans to open dozens of outlet stores at the massive Somerville project, hoping to cater to Boston-area shoppers tired of trekking to the suburbs in search of bargains on popular brands.

Federal Realty Investment Trust said it expects to open as many as 50 such stores at the $1.5 billion complex, which is designed to be a mixed-use neighborhood with offices, stores, hundreds of homes, a new MBTA station, and a refurbished park on the Mystic River.

The strategy is a bold one, with Federal Realty betting that national retailers will break from the traditional practice of keeping their outlet stores far from urban centers to avoid undercutting their full-price stores.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/11/16/assembly_row_shopping_center_in_somerville_to_get_outlet_stores/?p1=News_links

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Casey Ross