Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
New season, new stores. Seriously—2013 is bringing some major additions to the Boston shopping scene, and for the sake of simplicity, we compiled them all here for you to take note. While some of these expansions and renovations have been widely hyped (RH and Nordstrom Rack, for example), others are local boutiques spreading their wings (like Wicked Peacock's first brick and mortar outpost and Viola Lovely's first space in Boston proper). A few stores already opened their doors this winter and others hope to put up signage before the year ends. Consider this New and Improved Retail 101.
Check out past coverage of each store's plans by clicking "Website" to the right. Know of any biggies that we missed? Tell us in the comments or hit the tipline.
Wicked Peacock founder Silvana Costa is finally pursuing her dream of bringing her jewelry boutique to the offline world. Set to open sometime this spring, we can envision this being a necessary pit stop on North Shore beach trips.
Dubbed "gourmet Walgreens" by our departing mayor, this Downtown Crossing spot—formerly Borders—is poised to be quite the mega convenience store. It will be home to a full service nail bar and a virtual "Look Boutique" to try on cosmetics. The space should open this spring.
Chanel is giving up its precious No. 5 Newbury address in exchange for brand new digs across the street at the No. 6 Newbury project. Luxury condos will sit above a new two-story Boston flagship of the inimitable fashion house. The building remains under construction.
People love this "personal training for your skin" and its regimen through facials and signature product line. It's adding this 1,000 square foot Newbury Street location as a sister store to the South End original.
People have described the RH launch as one of the worst party disasters in recent history, but that shouldn't detract from the splendor of this renovated building which used to house Louis. We are chomping at the bit waiting for its official opening.
Finally downtown Boston has a Nordstrom Rack. Having opened in March, we can expect to find discounted goods from every department store department. Rack—all 38,000 square feet of it—has a similar layout to the former Filene's Basement space.
This San Francisco beauty brand certainly has a cult following (us included) for its solid product mix and cheeky titles. Expect to find waxing services, lash applications, and airbrush spray tans along with your favorite concealers and tints.
People in NYC and LA adore this Americana-inspired retailer...except for Bostonians who don't have access to its curated set of good from brands like A.P.C., Illesteva, and Rachel Comey. But we will, soon.
Having hopped down the block for a couple months while renovations are underway at its original location, Intermix should be moving home sometime mid-April. We can't wait to see the revamp.
In 1863, John Frye opened a shoe shop in Marlboro, MA—over a century later, his legacy returns to the Bay State with a 9,000 square foot storefront in Boston.
This college-girl mainstay is taking over the former 344 space on Newbury (how appropriate). Fashion forward pieces, reminiscent of the Nasty Gal look, fill the store with price points that pleasantly respect a young lady's budget.
Seekers of high end wears from brands like Veronica Beard, Yigal Azrouel, and Jerome Dreyfuss no longer need to hop in the car to the 'burbs. The local mini-chain is finally opening its first spot in Boston proper, appropriately nestled right in the South End.
In March, the locally-based athletic chain welcomed customers into a new 9,200 square foot space in the Chestnut Hill shopping complex The Street. An in-store track and treadmill allow you to test shoes, and a sports bra wall ensures a good fit.
Wicked Peacock founder Silvana Costa is finally pursuing her dream of bringing her jewelry boutique to the offline world. Set to open sometime this spring, we can envision this being a necessary pit stop on North Shore beach trips.
Dubbed "gourmet Walgreens" by our departing mayor, this Downtown Crossing spot—formerly Borders—is poised to be quite the mega convenience store. It will be home to a full service nail bar and a virtual "Look Boutique" to try on cosmetics. The space should open this spring.
Chanel is giving up its precious No. 5 Newbury address in exchange for brand new digs across the street at the No. 6 Newbury project. Luxury condos will sit above a new two-story Boston flagship of the inimitable fashion house. The building remains under construction.
People love this "personal training for your skin" and its regimen through facials and signature product line. It's adding this 1,000 square foot Newbury Street location as a sister store to the South End original.
People have described the RH launch as one of the worst party disasters in recent history, but that shouldn't detract from the splendor of this renovated building which used to house Louis. We are chomping at the bit waiting for its official opening.
Finally downtown Boston has a Nordstrom Rack. Having opened in March, we can expect to find discounted goods from every department store department. Rack—all 38,000 square feet of it—has a similar layout to the former Filene's Basement space.
This San Francisco beauty brand certainly has a cult following (us included) for its solid product mix and cheeky titles. Expect to find waxing services, lash applications, and airbrush spray tans along with your favorite concealers and tints.
People in NYC and LA adore this Americana-inspired retailer...except for Bostonians who don't have access to its curated set of good from brands like A.P.C., Illesteva, and Rachel Comey. But we will, soon.
Having hopped down the block for a couple months while renovations are underway at its original location, Intermix should be moving home sometime mid-April. We can't wait to see the revamp.
In 1863, John Frye opened a shoe shop in Marlboro, MA—over a century later, his legacy returns to the Bay State with a 9,000 square foot storefront in Boston.
This college-girl mainstay is taking over the former 344 space on Newbury (how appropriate). Fashion forward pieces, reminiscent of the Nasty Gal look, fill the store with price points that pleasantly respect a young lady's budget.
Seekers of high end wears from brands like Veronica Beard, Yigal Azrouel, and Jerome Dreyfuss no longer need to hop in the car to the 'burbs. The local mini-chain is finally opening its first spot in Boston proper, appropriately nestled right in the South End.
In March, the locally-based athletic chain welcomed customers into a new 9,200 square foot space in the Chestnut Hill shopping complex The Street. An in-store track and treadmill allow you to test shoes, and a sports bra wall ensures a good fit.