Growth in menswear used to be as static as a navy blue suit, but it's getting some spring in its step again.
With a boost from younger men putting more effort and dollars into their appearance, growth in menswear now outpaces that in womenswear. And the effect is being felt by the oldest men's store in Minneapolis, Hubert White, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
"The last three years we've had better sales than ever, with 2015 being our best sales year ever," said Bob White, the store's president.
Hubert White outlasted many other luxury retailers downtown, such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, Mark Shale, Sims Ltd. and Justers. White attributes the store's success to staff, merchandise and a little bit of luck when a space in the IDS Center became available in 1998.
"The move to IDS was a huge success. A total game-changer," he said. In the heart of downtown, the IDS location put 50 stories of potential clients at its door.
When the retailer relocated from its former location at 6th and Marquette in 2000, it was also time for a refresh. The old location lacked any natural lighting and was furnished in dark cherry. "I could spend 30 minutes explaining to customers how to get there and where to park," White said.
The new space was all windows, cleaner displays and lighter woods, with an expanded space for casual wear. "Younger men are more comfortable in a lighter and more congenial atmosphere," said project designer Jim Smart of Smart Associates in Minneapolis.
The move gave White a chance to remake the store for a clientele that saw casual Fridays morph into everyday casual. Suits, which made up nearly 80 percent of sales in the 1980s, now make up only 40 percent. While many of the clients who are lawyers, bankers and doctors still wear suits, a large percentage have gone semi-casual.