The nation’s top metro areas ranked by the amount of money spent on jewelry and accessories by females.
Accessories are the engine driving today’s fashion business, but where are the best customers located? Fort Worth, Tex.-based retail research firm Buxton created the following ranking by taking a weighted average of three ratios in metro statistical areas: spending on jewelry and accessories to number of females, spending of females 18 and older and the number of people interested in fashion in each area (based on responses gathered from surveys and total fashion magazine subscriptions). Said Rich Hollander, president of Buxton’s CustomerID division: “Some metro areas — like Washington, Chicago and Detroit — have affluent suburbs where much of the spending is happening.” New York and Los Angeles missed the top 10, coming in at 15th and 18th, respectively. Why so low? “The average area is weighted at 100. New York’s index score is 162, so New Yorkers are still spending 62 percent more than the average MSA, while L.A. is spending 55 percent more — both still rank extremely high,” said Hollander.
1. WASHINGTON-MD.-VA.-W.VA.
Women’s accessories index: 206
This metro area serves the needs of America’s biggest political players, many of whom make their homes in the upscale suburbs of Virginia and Maryland — some of which include Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Silver Spring in Maryland and Alexandria and Arlington in Virginia. Downtown Bethesda is full of unique shops, many of which cater to the accessories-obsessed: such as Hayden Harnett Handbags + Accessories, Bag Boutique and The Purse Store. And Alexandria’s historic Old Town district (left), a revitalized waterfront area with cobblestone streets, Colonial houses and churches, museums, shops and restaurants, is home to numerous antique shops, including Silverman Galleries and Antique Guild, both of which specialize in estate jewelry.
2. STAMFORD-NORWALK, CONN.
Women’s accessories index: 206
Stamford Town Center (left) has been a staple for Connecticut shoppers since 1982. Featuring more than 100 shops and restaurants, the mall houses such accessories destinations as Tumi luggage, Bailey Banks and Biddle and Claire’s Accessories. Christian Bernard offers a variety of jewelry, including watches, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and more. Other jewelers in the region include William Gordon Jewelers, Agabhumi-The Best of Bali and Marco Jewelers.
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3. CHICAGO
Women’s accessories index: 201
The Windy City’s North Shore community includes many of the most affluent areas in greater metropolitan Chicago, including Evanston, Wilmette and Winnetka. Chicago’s downtown area also has plenty when it comes to the world of accessories: Magnificent Mile offers top retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue (left), Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom, along with jewelers such as Tiffany and Van Cleef & Arpels. Nearby Oak Street is known for its upscale boutiques and specialty gift stores, while — perhaps most importantly for jewelry seekers — State Street houses the Midwest’s largest jewelry district.
4. SAN FRANCISCO
Women’s accessories index: 184
The hub of hippie culture in the Sixties, Haight Ashbury retains its reputation, offering a stretch of shops that showcase local designers, hip restaurants, piercing salons, vintage shops and exclusive boutiques. On Haight Street (left), shoppers can find Verd’s Funk, which features apparel and accessories from local artists and jewelry designers, and Piedmont Boutique, a specialty shop for lingerie, fetishwear, unique jewelry, gloves, hats, purses and more. Some of San Fran’s larger department stores can be found in Union Square — Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus included, while Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Cartier also have stores in this area.
5. PHILADELPHIA-N.J.
Women’s accessories index: 182
Located 10 miles from Philadelphia and over the Pennsylvania border in New Jersey is Cherry Hill Mall, the first enclosed shopping center in the East. The mall, which houses 165 moderate-to-upscale shops, is a major destination for some of the most affluent shoppers living in southern New Jersey. Women who are looking to accessorize can visit such stores as Coach, Fred Meyers Jewelers and Zales. Closer to Philly is Urban Outfitters Inc.’s headquarters, located downtown on Market Street. The specialty retailer, which owns Anthropologie and Urban Oufitters, sells apparel, accessories and home furnishings at two Anthropologie shops and three Urban Outfitters locations — one can be found in the King of Prussia Mall, which features more than 400 stores, restaurants and boutiques.
6. NASSAU-SUFFOLK, N.Y.
Women’s accessories index: 182
This metro area, known much better as Long Island to New Yorkers, comprises shopping spots such as Garden City’s Roosevelt Field. The indoor mall (left), built originally in 1909, holds more than 270 specialty shops (along with four anchor stores), and is one of the largest in the country by gross leasable area. It houses Perlina, Icing by Claire’s and Kenneth Cole, among other stores. Located on the North Shore is Americana Manhasset, a shopping mecca of more than 45 upscale stores, including Barneys New York, Cartier and David Yurman. And on the eastern end of Long Island is the upscale community known as The Hamptons, where London Jewelers and Rose Jewelers are located.
7. SAN JOSE
Women’s accessories index: 181
San Jose offers a number of shopping possibilities, from upscale Santana Row (left) and boutiques on Antique Row to malls and flea markets, as well. At santanarow.com, shoppers can look up profiles of all the accessories shops located in this destination, such as Cole Haan, Burberry and Bella Dolci, which specializes in handmade leather garments and handbags. Another huge shopping haven is the San Jose Flea Market — the largest open-air market in the U.S., covering 120 acres and eight miles of retail-packed pathways. San Jose is a rapidly growing part of Silicon Valley, with wealthy communities such as Palo Alto and Los Gatos nearby.
8. BOSTON-N.H.
Women’s accessories index: 178
Located in the Back Bay area of Boston is Newbury Street, the city’s answer to Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive. The historic street (left) spans eight city blocks, and its storefronts offer charming glimpses of Boston during the mid-to-late 19th century. Among a plethora of cafes, antique stores, custom clothiers and brand-name boutiques are some of the city’s hot accessories shops, including the Erwin Pearl, Karyatis Greek Antiquity, Sarkis Sajonian Jewelry & Watches and So Good Jewelry.
9. DETROIT
Women’s accessories index: 172
Though Detroit’s suburbs boast some of the wealthiest incomes in America, the Riverfront Shops at the GM Renaissance Center (part of the General Motors’ headquarters site) can be found in the heart of downtown Detroit. The mall (left) encompasses accessories and jewelry spots such as Corey’s Jewel Box, Costa D’Oro Jewelers and Susan’s Sheer Elegance. On Detroit’s east side lies a group of suburbs collectively known as Grosse Pointe. In downtown Grosse Pointe, the main shopping district is known simply as The Village. This area is anchored by Jacobson’s department store and includes unique specialty apparel and accessories shops such as Boutique Bellissima and Dawood.
10. MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL-WIS.
Women’s accessories index: 171
In addition to several well-known stores, such as Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Sears and Nordstrom, anchoring Minneapolis’ gargantuan Mall of America (left) — which boasts 2.5 million square feet of gross leasable space — accessories shops such as Bijou Bijou, Brighton Collectibles, Icing by Claire’s and Local Charm-A Minnesota Jewelry Studio can be visited between trips to the mall’s very own aquarium, wedding chapel and indoor theme park. Other key attractions include the Lego Imagination Center, Dinosaur Walk Museum, A.C.E.S. Flight Simulation and NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway.
Source: buxton, a retail research firm based in fort worth, tex.; average score for metro areas was weighted at 100; JEWELRY AND ACCESSORIES IS DEFINED BY BUXTON AS JEWELRY, HATS, BELTS, SCARVES, HANDBAGS, GLOVES, MITTENS, PURSES AND HANDKERCHIEFS;
*indicates a tie; for an expanded version of the rankings, go to wwd.com