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WPCNR CITY CENTER SENTINEL. By John F. Bailey. February 26, 2004: Filene’s Basement, which announced a lease on the second floor of the City Center complex at Main and Mamaroneck, will be making their second visit to White Plains, but this time around the store will be twice as large, and will offer a much larger collection of hot designer and name clothing lines for White Plains women and men, according to Patricia Boudrot, spokesperson for Filene’s Basement in Boston.
Ms. Boudrot told WPCNR this F.B. is a large commitment of space for the off-price chain, occupying floor space equal to their first store founded in Boston in 1908, and is slightly larger than the outfit’s Chicago store. She said “Our stores do well in downtown areas in a working environment where persons can walk in and shop on their lunch hours, know what they are looking for, and want to save money.” She said that is one of the reasons why the City Center site was selected.
(WPCNR has observed that Target, the present occupiers of the City Center basement are already benefitting from the that “lunch hour walk-in” crowd.)
No Cafes. Nothing Fancy Schmanzy. Just Great Clothes for Less.
Boudrot said the White Plains Filene’s Basement will have a basic department store feel to it, with what she called “nice fixtures,” just like the famous Filene’s Basement in Boston. There will be no fitters and a minimum of salespersons on the floor, she said, because generally Filene’s shoppers are hunting for bargains and know what they want. She said she did not know the hours of the City Center retail establishments, but that the store would comply with the hours of the mall.
From the Basement to the Penthouse.
Asked about the former Filene’s Basement operation in The Galleria, Ms. Boudrot said that store never did extremely well, but acknowledged it was not in the best location in The Galleria, and had a much smaller selection being it was only in a 30,000 square foot space. The decision to close the store, she recalled, was strictly a business decision at the time, but did not know the actual reason.
Name Brands. Hot Designers. Direct.
The City Center Filene’s Basement she said is twice the size and patrons will have a much wider selection, and a much more visible location (between the movie theaters and Circuit City (on the first floor). She said the store would carry 90% direct-from-the-manufacturer clothes, with perhaps 10% from other retailers.
She said White Plains Filene’s Basement customers will have a selection of “hot designers and labels,” consisting of first run clothes, no seconds, as well as stylish imports of European and American origin. She reports Filene’s Basement buyers returned from Italy last week with a line of new exclusive styles for the Filene’s Basement stores. She said the White Plains City Center Filene’s Basement will also run a line of men’s clothing, as well.
Likes the Residential Part of the City Center
Ms. Boudrot said her establishment targets women and men 25 to 54 and offers big deep discounts on quality clothes ranging at a minimum 30% to 60%, prices that, she feels are lower than the discounts on the same kinds of high end styles “other off-pricers” carry.
Boudrot said Filene’s Basements depend on much walk-in traffic as part of their charm, and said the new residences at the City Center North and South residential complexes would add to the store drawing universe, as well as the restaurants, the bookstore and the streets of the downtown.
At the original Filene’s Basement in Boston, located at Downtown Crossing at Washington and Summer Streets, 20,000 people visit the store each day. It is the second most visited tourist destination in Boston.
