While Boston trails both the New York City and Nationwide Office Building Index in return-to-office rates, one standout related to office activity is the Newbury Street location of the Dutch brand Suitsupply. Visitation to this location saw steady growth from February to August this year.
When examining the three East Coast cities in the chart—Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston—Educated Urbanites make up nearly half of Suitsupply's trade area, according to Spatial.ai’s PersonaLive data. In Boston specifically, there are also high indices for Near Urban Diverse Families and Young Professionals.
Both the Newbury St and Washington, DC Suitsupply locations saw the greatest gains compared to the prior year.
What might explain the gains in Boston? We have a few theories. First, Boston is a city where nearly a quarter of the population consists of students. The steady growth at the Newbury Street location from February to August could reflect students preparing for spring interviews, purchasing suits for summer internships, and later for weddings in late summer and early fall. Notably, a previous Anchor article highlighted that fall has become the most popular time of year for weddings. Additionally, the strong cohort of students and young professionals in their 20s and 30s may find the office environment particularly beneficial for camaraderie and mentorship. This group is also more likely to seek out—or at least be less resistant to—returning to the office compared to millennials and Gen X.
On a lighter note, there could be something lucky about this store, as it was the 100th location opened by the Amsterdam-based brand. From a quantitative perspective, year-over-year traffic to Newbury Street has increased over the past six months, with notable growth in June and August.
The importance of visual merchandising and the customer experience cannot be overlooked. A unique feature of Suitsupply is its in-store tailoring, often showcased prominently in the front window. This not only provides engaging "retail theater" but also reassures customers of the craftsmanship behind their suits. Some shoppers have even been drawn into the store out of curiosity sparked by seeing an artisan at work. Online reviews for the Boston location highlight customers' appreciation for attentive service, reasonable prices, meticulous attention to detail, and outstanding tailoring.
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