New Luxury Retail Stores in Vegas
On December 3 a new shopping venue opened its doors in Las Vegas. I am referring to it as a shopping venue since Crystals is unlike any other shopping center or mall. The developers are calling it a "Retail District" although that seems to suggest this is an outdoor shopping area. It is not.
Crystals is part of the massive $8.5 billion CityCenter development that has seen several other tenants open their doors in recent weeks including the spectacular Aria Casino/Hotel with more than 4,000 rooms, the 1,500 room Vdara Hotel without a casino and the 392 room Mandarin Oriental Hotel. CityCenter is being developed by MGM Mirage and Dubai World.
This 500,000-square-foot venue opened with about 40 percent of the space leased to some of the best-known luxury retailers. As far as timing goes, opening Crystals couldn't have come at a worse time. While I personally like some ultra modern architecture, this building is cold, totally devoid of any personality, and certainly not at all consumer-friendly. On the other hand, CityCenter's Aria Casino/Hotel also features ultra modern architecture but has a warm inviting feeling that is decidedly customer-friendly.
Crystals opened with an impressive array of retailers representing some of the world's best-known designer brands including Bally, Bulgari, Cartier, Ermenegildo Zegna, Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Tiffany & Co., Tom Ford, and Versace. Between poor timing, a real glut of retail on the Las Vegas Strip, and the questionable design of this retail venue, it will be interesting to see whether it is a concept that can survive over the long run.