More Chain Stores Opened in Brooklyn Than Any Other Borough

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For the first time ever, Brooklyn has taken the title of "greatest increase in chain stores" in a year-over-year comparison. The borough saw a 2.8% increase in chains, with a whopping 1,511 total. Staten Island saw a 1.7% rise, narrowly beating the Bronx's 1.6%. Queens saw chain store growth slip by 0.4%, while Manhattan saw chains downsize by 0.7%, totaling 2,779.

Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the Center for an Urban Future, explains that there are fewer openings in Manhattan's retail real estate landscape, and that the island is already saturated with endless Duane Reade and Dunkin Donuts locations (no kidding). So why Brooklyn? "There may be fairly limited growth opportunities in places that are very mall-centric, like Staten Island, Queens and the Bronx, but in Brooklyn, what you're seeing is national retailers going into the regular street shopping districts."
· Chain store growth shifts to outer boroughs [Crain's]
· Independent Brownstone Brooklyn Stores Aren't Afraid of J.Crew [Racked NY]
· A Big Picture Look at All the National Chains Heading to Brooklyn [Racked NY]