Great news! Hugh won the Hatch Detroit contest! Work starts in a few weeks to bring sophisticated living to downtown Detroit!
Hugh will be located in the Auburn, a new building project underway at the corner of Cass Avenue and West Canfield, just south of Wayne State University.The building is scheduled to be completed in August of 2012, and we anticipate a Hugh opening just after Labor Day.
I'll keep you posted with updates here and on the Hugh Facebook page. Sign up for our e-mail list (over in the right-hand column) if you are so inclined to receive advance notice and an invitation to the Grand Opening. We'll see Hugh soon!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Transforming Spaces, Transforming Places
When I was interviewed on the Craig Fahle Show on WDET last week, Craig asked me why I am so bullish on retail in Detroit. I gave my two cents on why I think Detroit is a great place to undertake a retail endeavor, but I didn't talk at all about why I think independent retail in general is a great idea right now.
With the shift over the past twenty years toward big chain retail and internet commerce, we've lost sight of the ways that independent stores define our neighborhoods and our cultures, provide a singular point-of-view, and allow us to connect and build community.
I found a copy of a 1983 book called simply Detroit Guide at an estate sale this week. It's a highly-opinionated take on everything the metro area had to offer at the time, and I was looking at the record stores reviewed: Sam's Jams, Village Records, The Record Collector and of course Harmony House. They were places music lovers could gather to hang out and talk, explore new music, and sometimes even get a job. And while the internet has made access to music easier than ever and taken the conversation global, that local community all but died with the neighborhood record shop.
Likewise, Netflix and on-demand video have taken away many of the meeting (and working) places for film buffs. And bookstores look like the next endangered species.
What is so great about this moment for independent retail is that a well-executed endeavor can help define and transform a neighborhood, and can still build a community. Sure, it's got to be special if it is going to compete with the chains or the web, but that ensures that a shop's personality is strong and enduring. We have dozens of examples of this working in Detroit right now, changing our neighborhoods. And the best thing about it is we just think we're having fun.
That's why a competition like Hatch Detroit is so much more than simply a pot of loot for the winner. It endorses the idea that independent retail is not only alive but more important than ever, and that even though the powers-that-be may focus on bigger, corporate commercial development, there ain't nothing like the real thing. Baby.
The first thing that is so great about independent retail is the emphasis on the unique retail experience, and this has always been my favorite thing about retail and why I'll never stop loving bricks-and-mortar. When you open a store you aren't just creating a space, you are engaging the imagination of your customers. There's an opportunity to inspire. It's always primarily about the products you sell, but in the two spaces I've had in Detroit I think the thing that gives me the most pride is the way I created something that really exceeded people's expectations. Here are a few before and after shots:
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| Hugh - Before |
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| Hugh - After |
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| ... and then Hugh for the Holidays |
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| Mezzanine - Before |
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| Mezzanine - After |
Hopefully, more to come!
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With the shift over the past twenty years toward big chain retail and internet commerce, we've lost sight of the ways that independent stores define our neighborhoods and our cultures, provide a singular point-of-view, and allow us to connect and build community.
I found a copy of a 1983 book called simply Detroit Guide at an estate sale this week. It's a highly-opinionated take on everything the metro area had to offer at the time, and I was looking at the record stores reviewed: Sam's Jams, Village Records, The Record Collector and of course Harmony House. They were places music lovers could gather to hang out and talk, explore new music, and sometimes even get a job. And while the internet has made access to music easier than ever and taken the conversation global, that local community all but died with the neighborhood record shop.
Likewise, Netflix and on-demand video have taken away many of the meeting (and working) places for film buffs. And bookstores look like the next endangered species.
What is so great about this moment for independent retail is that a well-executed endeavor can help define and transform a neighborhood, and can still build a community. Sure, it's got to be special if it is going to compete with the chains or the web, but that ensures that a shop's personality is strong and enduring. We have dozens of examples of this working in Detroit right now, changing our neighborhoods. And the best thing about it is we just think we're having fun.
That's why a competition like Hatch Detroit is so much more than simply a pot of loot for the winner. It endorses the idea that independent retail is not only alive but more important than ever, and that even though the powers-that-be may focus on bigger, corporate commercial development, there ain't nothing like the real thing. Baby.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
A Little Media for Hugh
Boy, the Hatch Detroit competition really drags you right back into the cut-throat world of Detroit retail! And by cut-throat I mean super supportive and non-competitive. I know, it's weird here.
Hugh is doing OK in the competition, we are routinely about 120 out of fourth place, which is where we need to be to move on to the next round. If you can drum up some new votes for us, we'd be really glad. 200 would be awesome.
In the meantime, Hugh has made the media a bit! Why? Maybe because it's the best idea that is PURE RETAIL in the competition! See something! Love something! Buy something!
Our first hit? Curbed Detroit says "Food Desert? Try Design Desert: Why Detroit Needs Hugh"
Yesterday I hung out with Craig Fahle on WDET. In the past I've been able to say things like "taint of the Nain Rouge" and "doggy style" on the air. Today I got to say "lovehughlongtime." It's amazing how much they humor me at WDET.
Mark Maynard is a little annoyed that he didn't follow-through with his Hatch-type idea, but that's what you get when you procrastinate I guess. We are old friends though, I still like him. He's crabby and smart. And he likes Hugh.
Hugh is doing OK in the competition, we are routinely about 120 out of fourth place, which is where we need to be to move on to the next round. If you can drum up some new votes for us, we'd be really glad. 200 would be awesome.
In the meantime, Hugh has made the media a bit! Why? Maybe because it's the best idea that is PURE RETAIL in the competition! See something! Love something! Buy something!
Our first hit? Curbed Detroit says "Food Desert? Try Design Desert: Why Detroit Needs Hugh"
Yesterday I hung out with Craig Fahle on WDET. In the past I've been able to say things like "taint of the Nain Rouge" and "doggy style" on the air. Today I got to say "lovehughlongtime." It's amazing how much they humor me at WDET.
Mark Maynard is a little annoyed that he didn't follow-through with his Hatch-type idea, but that's what you get when you procrastinate I guess. We are old friends though, I still like him. He's crabby and smart. And he likes Hugh.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Hugh & Hatch
Fantastico! Hugh made it to the semi-finals of the Hatch Detroit competition! From a group of over 200 applicants we made it to the top ten, and that in and of itself is an amazing honor.
Now the work really begins ... courting your public vote! For the next 14 days you can vote once per day. It would be really tremendous if you would vote for Hugh and get the little shop that could (and did) into the finals!
First, a bit about what a permanent Hugh would mean.
Hugh will move from its Park Avenue address (where the old Hugh location is about to open as Sean Harrington's Hot Taco restaurant) up to Midtown, in the Auburn building that is currently under construction. The store will be about 1200 square feet, four times the size of the temporary location. It will sell the mix of new and vintage items that the first iteration of Hugh sold, only with a broader selection, as well as more furniture and lighting.
Ultimately, it will be a uniquely Detroit store, and it will be the kind of place that makes you remember why bricks-and-mortar retail is so great.
Find Hugh on Facebook if you haven't already - it will be a highly entertaining couple of weeks on there I guarantee! If you would like to read Hugh's entire application for the Hatch competition, which features a strong sell on why Hugh is so great plus a little information about its humble proprietor, you can find a link here.
And while you are there, vote for Hugh! Remember, once a day for two weeks - just like a course of antibiotics!
Now the work really begins ... courting your public vote! For the next 14 days you can vote once per day. It would be really tremendous if you would vote for Hugh and get the little shop that could (and did) into the finals!
First, a bit about what a permanent Hugh would mean.
Hugh will move from its Park Avenue address (where the old Hugh location is about to open as Sean Harrington's Hot Taco restaurant) up to Midtown, in the Auburn building that is currently under construction. The store will be about 1200 square feet, four times the size of the temporary location. It will sell the mix of new and vintage items that the first iteration of Hugh sold, only with a broader selection, as well as more furniture and lighting.
Ultimately, it will be a uniquely Detroit store, and it will be the kind of place that makes you remember why bricks-and-mortar retail is so great.
Find Hugh on Facebook if you haven't already - it will be a highly entertaining couple of weeks on there I guarantee! If you would like to read Hugh's entire application for the Hatch competition, which features a strong sell on why Hugh is so great plus a little information about its humble proprietor, you can find a link here.
And while you are there, vote for Hugh! Remember, once a day for two weeks - just like a course of antibiotics!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
I Remember Hugh
Hatch Detroit is an amazing new contest where some of the best store ideas in Detroit compete for a $50,000 prize, to help open up a new retail biz. That's enough to make even an inveterate playboy consider settling down. Hugh has thrown its stylish hat in the ring!
Our submission video is a walk down memory lane. Enjoy, and spread the word!
Our submission video is a walk down memory lane. Enjoy, and spread the word!
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