I spent a chunk of the day on Friday on the city’s annual media tour of what’s new in downtown retail. In concert with a variety of institutions (Portland Development Commission, Portland Business Alliance, etc), there has been a big effort over the past five or so years to strengthen downtown’s shopping corridors, and one of the ways that’s manifested has been through annual, sponsored pop-up shops, wherein local retailers take over unoccupied retail spaces for a month or two leading up to the end of the year—even better, they tended toward concepts that sold products made locally, too. This year there weren’t any pop-ups to show us (though we visited two former pop-up success stories, Crafty Wonderland and Boys Fort), but I did finally go inside City Target and learn about some interesting acquisitions coming to Pioneer Place (Kitson, Camper, Scotch & Soda).
I’ve always loved the pop-up tradition, but their absence this year is actually good news; downtown just doesn’t have enough vacancies to justify it anymore. That said, the program is shifting focus for 2014, when the pop-ups are expected to return, but relocate to Old Town, where they’ll join permanent locals like Hand Eye Supply, Compound, and Orox. As much as I’ll miss the spirit of the pop-ups, the past year’s boom of new shops in the area—from Japanese outdoor brand Mont Bell’s recent arrival at the corner of Director Park to Nashville-based denim heads Imogene + Willie in the Black Box, to the entire crew over at Union Way—should keep you entertained, and the constant flow of new announcements for local-focused holiday shopping events should keep your access to variety pretty well unfettered.
- Speaking of Union Way, we ate lunch at Boxer Ramen (my second time). Try the tots! They have bonito flakes on them and they’re super addictive.