Just a strolling distance from Boston University campus — or a T-ride away for those unaccustomed to walking — Boston’s Back Bay, the Prudential Center, Newbury Street and the Copley Mall have one thing in common: a solution to the Bostonian’s craving for high-end designer shops, exquisite salons and mouth-watering eateries.
The Prudential Center, one of the most noticeable landmarks on the Boston side of the Charles River, is home to more than 75 stores and restaurants, including Lacoste, Jasmine Sola, Lord and Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue — making it a prime location for high-end retail.
“The central demographic is a forty-two year old woman with an average household income of about 90,000 [dollars] a year,” said Amy Daniels, marketing director of the Prudential Center.
“We are 70 percent local, so 70 percent of our shoppers come from Boston or the cities surrounding the area and 30 percent are visitors,” she said.
While the Prudential Center has long established itself as a premier shopping destination, new stores that appeal to the middle-aged, Bostonian demographic continues to be added, according to Daniels, citing Club Monaco, which opened six months ago, as an example.
A Canadian retailer specializing in men’s and women’s sportswear, the first Boston-area Club Monaco is leasing the space that had been previously occupied by the Levi’s store.
“We also like that it’s the first Club Monaco in the Boston market, so it’s not something that you’ll see in suburban malls,” Daniels said, stressing the aesthetic appeal of the storefront within the mall.
Daniels said the process of deciding which stores are allowed to lease space in the Prudential Center is complex because they try to find retailers that can best target the intended shopping demographic.
“Our leasing team works in conjunction with the property management team to find potential retail prospects that would fit with the demographic we are trying to attract,” Daniels said. “[They are] responsible for finding who is out there for retailers looking for space.”
Aside from availability and willingness to lease in the heart of the Back Bay, potential retailers must also complement the surrounding stores and restaurants.
“The other thing that we look for when we are leasing is someone who is going to work well with the office tenants in the complex and in the surrounding Back Bay area,” Daniels said, adding that the Prudential Center complex — which includes 101 Huntington, 111 Huntington and the Prudential Tower — has 10,000 tenants.
He added that a Cold Stone Creameries shop is set to open in July in the mall.
Yet another area rich with “upscale” ice cream shops, such Herrell’s Ice Cream Shop and Espresso Bar, Ben and Jerry’s and J.P. Licks, is Newbury Street.
Aside from ice cream and sidewalk cafés, Newbury Street includes high-end clothing retailers, including BCBG, Burberry, Banana Republic, Diesel and Emporio Armani.
Rugby, a division of Ralph Lauren, made its debut on Newbury Street in 2004, according to sales associate Matt Smith. Due to the success of the pilot store on Newbury Street, four more Rugby stores have opened nationwide.
Smith said Boston was an ideal location for Rugby because it is “a great college town.”
“With over 200,000 college kids in the area from schools such as Boston University and Boston College, we felt it was a good fit,” Smith said. “It’s very East coast preppy meets punk. It’s very collegiate with an East coast flare.
Smith said Rugby enjoys the elite status traditionally attributed to Newbury’s Street reputation for “preppy” clientele.
“We think of it as a secret society,” he said.
Similarly, the Copley Mall, with more than 100 stores, including the only Neiman Marcus in New England, Tiffany’s Co., Gucci and Louis Vuitton, appeals to the classier shopper with a bigger wallet.
With a unique two-floor layout, complete with a waterfall and a large glass window overlooking the Back Bay, Copley takes pride in its ability to offer “two levels of shopping, restaurants, four office buildings, 1,400 parking spaces and two hotels, the Westin Hotel and the Boston Marriott Copley Place,” according to the mall’s website.
The Copley Mall, the Prudential Center and Newbury Street are all accessible on the Green and Orange Lines.
Staff writer Chloe Gotsis contributed reporting for this story.