Bradley Fair is undergoing ‘a retail renaissance’ where vacancies equal opportunities

Bradley Fair, Wichita’s original “lifestyle center” and still one of its premier shopping destinations, has had some big retail wins in recent years.

There’s Trader Joe’s, which opened last fall where Fresh Market used to be; Pottery Barn, which finally entered the market in 2016 after years of yearning on the part of many Wichita shoppers; and Athleta, a women’s athletic wear giant that opened in 2017.

However, there also are a number of vacancies at the center at 21st and Rock Road, perhaps most notably the 35,000-square-foot former Bed Bath & Beyond space that has been empty since the chain moved to Greenwich Place at K-96 and Greenwich in 2016 to be with sister stores World Market and Buy, Buy Baby.

While most every retail center has stores that come and go every year, there seem to be more notable vacancies at Bradley Fair now than ever.

Banana Republic, which was an early retailer at Bradley Fair in the 1990s, recently left. Last year, the short-lived J. Crew Mercantile closed as did Gymboree, a national tenant that had been in the center since 2008.

All three chains had major closures nationally.

Other significant national closures with brands such as Pier 1 and Loft, formerly Ann Taylor Loft, have some shoppers worried what might happen with those stores at Bradley Fair, though nothing has been announced about them closing.

Versona also closed, but it’s unclear what happened. Trio’s, the locally owned home decor and gift store, closed last year after almost four decades in business. The one-time Good Egg space remains vacant.

None of these closures individually seem to point to anything, but taken as a whole, it’s fair to ask what’s going on at Bradley Fair in specific and with retail in general.

“Our outlook on retail is we’re in the midst of sort of a retail renaissance,” says Maggie Smith, vice president and head of marketing for Massachusetts-based WS Development.

Bradley Fair developer George Laham last year entered into a joint venture with WS Development to manage the center.

Laham wouldn’t talk about the agreement at the time, but a release said that WS Development focuses “particularly on community activation, retail mix, design, landscaping and public art.”

Smith says WS Development’s joint venture with Laham Development is not the result of anything recent happening at the center.

“The relationship with Laham has developed over many, many years.”

Smith says changes in the retail landscape are a natural evolution “and really a good thing for our industry and for retail at large.”

She says WS Development is “supremely focused” on adding new kinds of businesses at Bradley Fair that extend the role that the center has in Wichita.

To that end, Club Pilates is opening in 1,800 square feet of the former J. Crew space this summer. It will be Bradley Fair’s first fitness center. Smith calls it the kind of “nuanced dynamic” the center is looking to add.

“With fitness, because it inherently brings customers to the property multiple times a week, there’s a unique opportunity to build a stronger, deeper relationship,” Smith says. “Sort of all the things that drive day-to-day traffic and interaction.”

She says the idea is to create an ideal mix of reasons for people to come to Bradley Fair and cross shop.

“What we’ve recognized is that the way in which consumers are spending money has changed dramatically . . . so we are seeking to create a mix that’s reflective of that.”

Love of Character, a gift shop at Douglas and Hillside, is going to open a pop-up shop at Bradley Fair this month in the 6,000-square-foot former Banana Republic space. It will be open at least through the end of May, with an option to stay for a year.

Smith calls it the “perfect gifting shop that will delight our customers with something new.”

There will be other announcements coming in the next few months as well, Smith says.

But what about the closures?

“Bed Bath & Beyond wanted to remain and actually grow at Bradley Fair, bringing in two additional concepts under their umbrella, but unfortunately we couldn’t meet their space requirements,” Smith says.

“We’re very focused on the revitalization of that side of the property,” she says.

“We’re actively working with tenants on the space and will likely subdivide it to accommodate them.”

Smith says it’s all about finding the right mix.

She says the approach was to find one “change agent” retailer to then attract others, which is what Smith says Trader Joe’s is doing.

There is a “ton of interest” thanks to Trader Joe’s, she says.

Smith says she can’t speak to the previous interest level or whether Laham turned down any other businesses for the Bed Bath & Beyond space while searching for that right mix.

Other businesses are already reporting an increase in sales since the grocery store came, Smith says.

“It’s more the dynamic of what a powerful retailer like Trader Joe’s does for a space.”

While online shopping has had an impact on local shopping, Smith says it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“E-commerce has certainly influenced the way in which we view brick-and-mortar retail, but from our perspective, in many ways it has caused many brands to just recommit to and evolve their brick-and-mortar strategies.”

She says WS Development is happy to play a role in a center like Bradley Fair.

“We see Bradley Fair as one of these magical assets that is sort of at the center of its community and really well positioned to play . . . that sort of Main Street role in the community that is has for so long.”