Manhattan Landlords Cut Deals to Stave Off Vacant Storefronts

The Kooples, a French clothing seller, is threatening to vacate its space six years ahead of schedule if it can't get landlord Thor Equities to cut the rent. With brick-and-mortar stores suffering from a retail industry shakeout, the company says it isn't making enough money at the property and wants to focus on the web.

The scene unfolding on the cobblestones of one of New York's trendiest shopping areas shows the increasingly fraught negotiations between tenants and landlords as vacancies soar and retail rents plunge. Similar scenarios are playing out along Madison Avenue to the north and along other thoroughfares in the city that have long been a draw for those shopping for designer clothing and other luxury goods. Property owners are confronting demands once unheard of in Manhattan, from rent reductions to short-term leases.

After a drought in 2017, more deals are getting done as landlords begin to accept the new reality, according to Patrick Smith, a vice chairman of the retail brokerage at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

...

The Kooples agreed to pay $650 per square foot for its space, which was part of a plan to open 40 stores in the U.S., according to documents tied to the $37 million mortgage on the property. Retail rents in the area have since plunged, dropping 17 percent in the past year to an average of $440 a square foot, the largest decline in all of Manhattan, according to Cushman data.