This feature was written by Studio MSP writers. While some of our advertisers were sourced, no advertiser paid to be included.
Photo courtesy of JB Hudson
JB Hudson window displays in downtown Minneapolis
JB Hudson’s new displays are a draw for nostalgic window-shoppers. The store’s president, Nick Pechman, is part of a task force to revitalize retail along Nicollet.
Downtown Minneapolis may not be a full-blown shopping destination. Yet. But Nick Pechman, president of the 133-year-old JB Hudson Jewelers and member of mpls downtown council’s 2025 Plan retail task force, has plenty of ideas about how to speed up the process.
“We decided to invest in our windows,” says Pechman. “If you imagine what retail once was, people used to come downtown to window-shop. We hear from our clients that this is something they miss. Our plan is to have a more traditional Nicollet Mall retail look.”
Last winter, the store’s windows featured snowy dogsledding scenes. Its springtime display is an explosion of flowers and love-struck mannequins proposing on one knee.
Just across Nicollet, Target has done some dressing up of its own with a $10 million remodel, an investment in a vibrant retail scene along downtown’s central core.
Pechman believes that businesses can contribute to the area’s revitalization by offering great shopping and also encouraging customers to stick around afterwards. JB Hudson often gives its customers gift cards to restaurants and entertainment.
“When we have the opportunity to do a giveaway, we are choosing to keep it downtown,” says Pechman. “For Valentine’s Day we partnered with Radisson Blu; we also work with Hennepin Theatre Trust. We frequently give away Twins tickets, and gift cards to Hell’s Kitchen, Manny’s, The Local, Newsroom.”
Pechman’s wish list for new tenants at the Dayton’s Project? “We’d love to see some relevant locally owned businesses.”
North Loop: Keeping It Local
That hunger for unique local brands has been a boon for the ever-expanding North Loop. With cool shops like MartinPatrick 3, Pacifier, and Askov Finlayson defining the neighborhood character, there’s a sense that downtown residents and visitors from the suburbs want something other than the big-box stores.
“There are no mall stores or nationals in the North Loop,” says Greg Walsh, co-owner of MartinPatrick 3. “There are brands and experiences you don’t find at the shopping meccas.” Walsh should know; he’s created a retail experience that draws customers from all over the metro by bringing in brands they can’t find anywhere else. Specializing in menswear, home furnishings, and interior design, MartinPatrick 3 is expanding its space to 22,000 square feet by August in order to host more of its popular events, like runway shows, speakers, and social gatherings. It’s fair to say it’s become a shopping destination.
Like JB Hudson, MartinPatrick 3 encourages customers to stay and explore the neighborhood. “The North Loop has so much to offer in restaurants, and the historic Hewing Hotel is a great urban experience,” says Walsh. “We put together a map of all the cool shops in the neighborhood; we pass it out to people who come in.”
