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June 04, 2007
Wanna Revive One of Chattanooga's Dying Strip Malls? Bring In a Steve & Barry's
Visiting my sister in Charlotte this past weekend, we took a trip to Steve & Barry's, the super discount department store chain that's currently catching fire across the country. I first heard about the chain in a piece on ABC's 20/20 featuring the "Starbury" shoe line, endorsed by the New York Knicks' Stephon Marbury. The shoe line includes a variety of styles, all of which are priced at $14.98, and which was named as one of Business Week's "Products of the Year" for 2006. Marbury was interested in launching the shoe line, in part, because he wanted kids to know that good shoes didn't have to cost a lot.
Now, while Consumer Reports says Starburys are "not that great" for serious basketball players, they do say that "they seem to be a well-made shoe, and for $15 dollars are definitely worth a try." More than half of the players in Consumer Reports' study said they would wear them off the court. Ben Wallace will be launching a line of shoes through the store this fall, and Sarah Jessica Parker is launching a clothing line through Steve and Barry's this week.
The Steve and Barry's business model is aggressive. They seek out bargain leases in dying strip malls for their retail locations, do virtually no advertising, have no online store, offer modest employee salaries, and save on purchasing costs. According to their Web site, they "focus our energies to make sure sweaters for your family don't cost more than a tank of gas or this week's groceries."
My first impression: Steve and Barry's resembles a cross between The Gap (in terms of store appearance) and Old Navy (in terms of clothing quality). Also, like the Starbury shoe line, all of the clothes at Steve and Barry's are extremely affordable. (Cargo shorts and khaki pants were two for $20. Polo shirts were $5.98.)
While we didn't buy any shoes during our visit, Melissa and I bought several pairs of pants and shorts, and a variety of shirts. We each wore several during our stay. We were both very pleased in the style and comfort level of the clothes. (The clothes also held up very well after an initial washing.)
A store like Steve and Barry's would do very well in Chattanooga. We have plenty of empty retail space for the company to choose from, and the prices would be appealing to a community that's currently flooding the Wal-Marts and Targets looking for bargains on clothes.
The closest Steve and Barry's to Chattanooga is in Antioch, just outside of Nashville.
BILLets | By colrus | 05:15 PM
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