Students who have ventured outside the University's FitzRandolph Gate into Palmer Square since returning to campus might have noticed the arrivals and departures of several shops.
Most notably, J. Crew, which displayed a "coming soon" sign in its window throughout the spring semester, finally opened in mid August.
J. Crew is among the five newcomers to the Palmer Square area, with another expected to open in a few months.
Palmer Square has faced many obstacles to retaining and obtaining new stores, said David Newton, vice president of Palmer Square Management LLC, especially since being hit hard by the downturn in the economy and the events of Sept. 11.
"It's been a bear of a year since Sept. 11," he said. Several stores — including Waverly Home, Laura Ashley, Gap Kids and The Yard Company — have closed, gone out of business or moved out of the area. "It was a pretty bleak winter," Newton said.
In the past few months, Newton has had the challenge of attracting University students and new retailers to the Borough.
Catering to students is a definite priority for Palmer Square, Newton said. "We really want to get more students to the square," he said.
So far, Newton said, J. Crew's arrival has been the "big deal" for the square, and University students seem to agree.
Kendyl Salcito '04 said she is very excited about the store's arrival, though she has not been there yet.
"I love J. Crew," she said, "I'm excited about the idea of wasting time in there."
In addition to J. Crew, four new stores have opened in or near Palmer Square since last May. The other stores include Aerosoles — a shoe store for women — Mimi Maternity, Ici fashion for children and Smith Bros., a high-end fashion store.
Blue Mercury, an upscale cosmetics store, is scheduled to open in winter 2003.
Smith Bros. and Blue Mercury will probably be of particular interest to students, Newton said, because of the niche to which they cater.
The new stores are a mix of national chain stores and regional shops. Smith Bros. has various locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and Ici fashion for children was opened by a resident in the town. Aerosoles is a national retailer.
Kelly Steiger, the district manager for Smith Bros., said she is excited about the location of the newest store, which opened in mid August. "There's a demand for this kind of store in the area," she said.
Hyeyoung Oh '05, a regular shopper in Palmer Square, agreed. "I think it's perfect for Princeton," she said, adding, "I think it's really cute."
Other stores — Bowhe & Peare, the Silver Shop and Simon Pearce Glass — have changed locations within the square, and the Silver Shop has switched ownership.
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