Storecasting: Three New Openings on 34th Street

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Obviously, nothing's going to beat JC Penney's opening for the coveted title of Herald Square News of the Year. But time keeps ticking forward on 34th Street, and today's WWD brings word of three "huge stores" set to open by March. The first, Geox, has actually already begun welcoming customers to 34th between Fifth and Sixth. The second, Aéropostale, will join it in November.

But the biggest news (at least size-wise) concerns 80's powerhouse Esprit, which plans to open an 18,000-square-foot flagship in the 34th Street retail space that was once expected to become an Apple Store. "Apple leased the retail space several years ago, but decided not to open a store there," WWD explains. "Instead, Apple subleased the first three floors to Esprit." This is old news, but it's still a shame, if only because Apple might have been a worthy challenger to JC Penney's role in the 34th Street new-stores hierarchy.
· Huge Stores to Open on 34th Street [WWD, subscription req'd]
· Apple To 34th Street Not Happening [Racked]