Holiday shopping is looking to make a comeback in downtown Detroit.
The Somerset Collection CityLoft returns this year in a new larger location on the first floor of the First National National Building at 660 Woodward Avenue, adjacent to Campus Martius. That’s a move as last year, the City Loft was located across from the former Hudson’s building site for the holiday shopping season.
This year there are about 40 retailers from the nationally recognized shopping center on Big Beaver in Troy in what is basically a giant pop-up retail space. The purpose of the CityLoft, in its seventh season, is to attract a new market and new audiences for the Somerset Collection, but it’s also tied in to the development of downtown Detroit.
“CityLoft is really a model home for retail, and what we like to do is activate different spaces. After we’ve activated them there is a lot of interest generated in the space, so that national retailers, local companies etc. can see how you transform a space, keeping the amazing architecture and still make it a little more contemporary,” said Linda McIntosh with the Somerset Collection.
So not only is it shopping for now, but hopefully, it helps spur other retail in the future. The new location, it is hoped, will be even better.
What you’ll find at the Somerset Collection this year is based on feedback by the merchants and shoppers from the previous year, so the experience should be improved. “There will be more jewelry, men’s shirt’s, and exercise wear this year, in general more items for 20-something females,” said McIntosh.
The merchants choose the items from their stores that they want to bring down. Pricing of items will range from $2 to $2,000 so there’s a mix of anything and everything you can find at the mall.
Retailers this year include Mankind, Aveda, The Body Shop, The Buckle, Cache, Eddie Bauer, Gap, Gucci, Icing, Lego, Lilly Pulitzer, Lacoste, Paradise Pen, Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids, Ralph Lauren, Swarovski, The Detroit Shoppe, Thomas Pink, and more. It’s done in partnership with Bedrock Real Estate Services.
For the kids, Somerset also has Santa’s Wonderland in the same building. For your $5 donation that benefits the Children’s Tumor Foundation, children can shop in the kids-only store for merchandise that was donated by Somerset Collection retailers.
Also there are designer Snowmen. Housed in a 30 x 18 foot igloo-shaped structure on Cadillac Square (next to CityLoft), 25 designer snowmen are decked out by Somerset retailers.
The CityLoft is open from December 3 thru December 23, Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
If you’re coming down to the CityLoft, other places nearby you might want to check out for shopping include Pure Detroit in the Guardian Building for all things Detroit, for the ladies the Busted Bra Shop in the Penobscot Building and for the professional guys Penz Detroit over on Washington and Fort.
Check out more CityLoft pics below.
