> Call it the Amazon effect - who wants to go to SOHO to buy clothes when you can do it online! :) That's not the effect that's happening here. In fact, a num

> Call it the Amazon effect - who wants to go to SOHO to buy clothes when you can do it online! :) That's not the effect that's happening here. In fact, a number of brands that have built their reputations online have recently (in the last few years) opened up brick-and-mortar stores in SoHo, and done quite well. Warby Parker and Birchbox are two examples. The problem, as the sibling comment notes, isn't that people don't want to go to brick-and-mortar stores when they can buy clothing online. The problem is rather specific to New York (and particularly Manhattan) real estate, which is why we have the paradox that brick-and-mortar stores along some streets are closing and staying vacant, while their competitors are opening up new (successful) stores literally two blocks away.