Bloomies’ West Coast flagship opens tomorrow

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 9/27/2006 1:20:00 PM

San Francisco – Tomorrow marks the long-awaited opening of Bloomingdale’s downtown San Francisco store in the former Emporium building, adjacent to the new Westgate Mall on Market Street.

The 337,000-square-foot store is Bloomingdale’s second largest (59th Street New York is No. 1) and serves as the retailer’s “definitive West Coast flagship store,” according to Charles Anderson, regional vp for the West and Midwest.

Home is located on the lower level of the five-story location. The textiles area boasts 40 beds (the norm outside 59th Street is 35), with the exclusive Barbara Barry bedding collection leading into the department. Pratesi also rates its own department. And the Sferra department represents “probably the finest assortment of Sferra we have in the country,” said Joe Laneve, senior vp/gmm, home furnishings.

The home textiles area is relatively tight, making way for a vast assortment of tabletop and high-end, exclusively designed accent pieces. The meaty assortment, said Laneve, is designed to appeal to San Franciscan’s entertaining culture. The unique accent pieces are meant to differentiate the home department in the manner that designer sportswear differentiates Bloomingdale’s apparel assortment.