I guess Urban Outfitters feels they got too suburban there for a while, because they're now just plonking down in empty lots for a few days here and there - currently on Gay Street, just up from the Bijou Theatre. They call this concept a "pop-up shop," but I suspect it's just an excuse for the traveling employees to be filmed for a reality show, a la Road Rules. Because I once worked at an Urban Outfitters, and boy, did my coworkers like to get drunk, go dancing at underground hipster clubs, and pick up people -- and then talk about all three while folding stacks of sheer t-shirts the next day. (Can I tell you what a pain in the ass those sheer t-shirts are to fold? Remember that next time you knock over a whole stack looking for a specific size.)
Anyway, the rumor is that the traveling pop-up shop is a way for Urban to gauge interest before committing to opening a store here. I went to visit the shop yesterday to see what all the hype was about, and all I can say is: Meh.
The pop-up shop has a small selection of clothes geared towards people much younger than me -- awfully brief Ikat shorts, oversized sweaters, flowery dresses cut for women who don't have breasts, which is to say, teenagers. Which is to say, UT kids and high schoolers too cool for Hot Topic will love shopping at Urban. It'd be much more exciting if the corporate headquarters was looking into opening an Anthropologie.
You can also get fancy sodas and play cornhole and order hipster glasses from the Internet at the pop-up shop. There's a small selection of men's clothes and a handful of books and Lomo cameras too, but there was nothing there I nor my shopping companion felt interested in even trying on. There also weren't that many people there, despite the perfect weather.
But another friend bought two dresses later in the day, so my opinion isn't shared by everyone my age. In any case, if you're downtown, it's worth checking out, because if enough people buy stuff, then maybe they'll open an Urban here, which means an Anthro is that much more likely to happen. The store closes at the end of the day tomorrow, so hurry! I need my fix of pretty things.
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