Keep the Charm in Charleston

By Beckett Brennan

Known for its rich history, spectacular scenery and beautiful beaches, Charleston, S.C. is consistently among the top tourist destinations in the United States. A destination that offers a unique experience of charming culture and endless activities, Charleston is an ideal place to escape the reality of daily life.

Among many of the popular attractions Charleston offers, a walk down King Street is a shopaholics’ dream. Ranging from trendy boutiques to one-of-a-kind antique stores, Charleston shopping is anything but ordinary. Recently, King Street was named one of the “10 Best Shopping Districts in the U.S.A.” by Forbes Traveler magazine, finding itself amongst well-known shopping districts in New York and Miami.

The charm of Charleston and the shopping on King Street is the ability to find items and stores not found at your local mall. In recent years however, King Street has seen a shift from its unique boutiques, as a growing number of chain stores have taken up residence. Currently Charleston travelers experience a pleasant mixture of both privately owned and retail stores, but is Charleston moving from the exclusive to the expected?
With stores such as, Abercrombie and Fitch, The Gap, Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, and J.Crew dominating the square footage, the dynamics of the Charleston experience are slowly changing. Local boutiques are finding existence more difficult, losing profits to their well-known, bulk-producing, mass-marketing competitors. Is this what Charlestonians want? Retail stores seem to be a contradiction to what makes Charleston a one-of-a-kind destination.

With the closing of Saks Fifth Avenue, giving way to the epitome of derivative retail stores in the likes of Forever 21, King Street is on the verge of what could be called a very slippery slope. Although Saks Fifth Avenue, yes, is considered a chain store, it carried with it a sense of class, luxury, and desire, placed in carefully thought-out locations. The closing of Saks, will soon lead to the absence of meticulously wrapped, detailed shopping bags, giving way to the unsightly, unoriginal, plastic, neon-yellow bags seen at every local mall in America.

This is not to say that there is not a place for retail stores in the Charleston area, however; they do not belong amongst the beautiful architecture buildings, and the horse-drawn carriage, cobblestone streets of downtown Charleston and King Street. It is hard to imagine this city without its charm, and the infiltration of the chaotic, unorganized, atmosphere of Forever 21, threatens the allure and charisma of the King Street personality.

I fear that as exclusive, unique boutiques give way to the oversized chain stores, King Street shopping will soon encompass nothing more than your Middle American mall. Where what used to be an enjoyable experience of leisure shopping, southern charm and hospitality, is soon replaced by long lines and volume driven customer service. I fear that no longer will people appreciate the personality of this city, and the stories that each brick and building tell, but that King Street will become a means travel. A way of getting from point A to point B, or in this case, from Urban Outfitters to Forever 21.

I am not oblivious, or fail to see the impact these economic times have on small, privately owned businesses. I realize that local shop owners have experienced a majority of the profit loss, and find themselves struggling to afford the high rental prices of King Street. I do however suggest that we make an effort to keep the charm in the city we know and love, Charleston.