Gucci’s new retail store, located on the main floor in Plaza Frontenac, opens today. The 5,400-square-foot boutique carries men’s and women’s shoes, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, jewelry, watches, eyewear, and a selection of Gucci home décor.
The St. Louis store is part of a new strategy among luxury retailers who are looking to the U.S. market and to Midwestern states, in particular, to grow their portfolios. Kirsten Lee, executive vice president of leasing for Brookfield Properties, the company that owns Plaza Frontenac, points to new Gucci stores in St. Louis, Cincinnati, and San Antonio as evidence of the brand’s growth throughout the country. “Many luxury CEOs have been quoted in annual reports or board disclosures saying that their growth in coming years will be centered in the U.S.—and not necessarily on the coasts,” she says. “This middle section of the country is really finding its voice in terms of luxury demand.”
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The boutique will carry the label’s iconic Blondie and Ophidia handbags, as well as the GG monogram and web stripe. In addition, the store will stock the Cosmogonie collection introduced in Puglia, Italy, in May 2022.
Shoppers can expect quintessential Gucci luxury in the store’s interior design. The wood floors are custom-painted in a geometric pattern, featuring marble polychrome inlay that creates a three-dimensional effect. Vintage-inspired display units contrast against soft fabrics and varnished pink-and-iron wall finishes compliment colorful velvet upholstery. Sumptuous chairs and vintage rugs are layered for a textural look.
The union of Gucci and Plaza Frontenac is not by chance. “It’s our job to serve both our customers and our clients,” says Lee. “Plaza Frontenac has a successful Louis Vuitton and Omega [store], as well as a new Golden Goose. We’re working with other national luxury brands for the center. Gucci was a natural fit.”
In St. Louis and around the world, the demand for luxury goods remains high in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. “The luxury consumer is continuing to spend. They are highly engaged, highly loyal, and remain committed to luxury brands,” says Lee. In 2018, Brookfield Properties owned 11 centers considered to be luxury properties compared to today’s 21. “We are effectively doubling our luxury business.”
Drawing a global fashion brand to town is a big deal and St. Louisans should be proud, says Lee. “Plaza Frontenac is the hub of luxury in Missouri. People are traveling from far and wide to shop there.”
