| | OVERVIEW |  |
New York City is the center for fashion, retail, and beauty. Hundreds of companies have started here and have become global powerhouses: Ralph Lauren’s first tie collection launching a global lifestyle brand; Estée Lauder’s first jar of skin cream expanding into the world’s fifth largest beauty company; Macy’s Herald Square – the world’s biggest department store.
New York City offers unmatchable assets: more headquarters of fashion designers and fashion/retailers than any other city, the largest pool of creative talent, and the most retail space in the some of the most highly trafficked locations.
Add to this that the City is the global media and advertising center, a vital resource to the fashion, retail, and beauty industries, and you have a great place to grow your business. | |
| WHY NYC? | |
New York City is the global capital of retail, fashion, and beauty. Approximately $42 billion in retail sales occur in NYC each year. $19.5 billion of retail sales occur in Manhattan alone (Source: U.S. Census).
There are more showrooms and buying offices here than in any other city. Approximately 20-25,000 out-of-town retail buyers come to NYC four to five times per year to place orders in midtown showrooms (Source: NYC’s Garment Industry: A New Look, Fiscal Policy Institute, 2003). NYC also has more retail square footage than any other city.
Over 100 fashion shows each year, including those in the annual Fall and Spring Fashion Weeks and 7th on 6th attract thousands of visitors.
Seven of the world’s top 50 beauty companies have their global headquarters in NYC. That’s more than any other city in the world. And, 24 of the top 50 have a presence here (Source: The Beauty Top Hundred, Women’s Wear Daily 2005.) | |
| TALENT | | |
New York City is a leader in creative talent:
- Over 260,000 people are employed in the retail industry, and 60,000 of these are employed in clothing and accessories stores (Source: New York City’s Retail Trade Sector – Labor Market Profile. Fiscal Policy Institute, 2004)
- There are 100,000 employees in the textile, apparel, and accessories manufacturing industry (Source: New York City’s Garment Industry: A New Look? Fiscal Policy Institute, 2003.)
- Over 1,000 students graduate each year from New York City fashion programs
|
Some of the best programs are located here, including:
The Art Institute of New York City, Fashion Design Program
Berkeley College - New York, Fashion Marketing and Management
Eugene Lang College, Parson School of Design, Fashion Studies Program
Fashion Institute of Technology
Katherine Gibbs School - New York, Fashion Design and Merchandising
Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, Fashion Merchandising
New York School of Design, Fashion Design Programs
Parsons School of Design, Fashion Programs
Pratt Institute – Brooklyn, Fashion Design
Wood Tobé-Coburn School, Fashion Design Program | |
| DISTRIBUTION | | |
The City is located within one day’s highway travel of more than 55 percent of the US population and more than 60 percent of the population of Canada. Our extensive transportation infrastructure includes access to several interstates and three major airports, making New York City a convenient hub for distribution to the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid South.
Calvin Klein, Bergdorf Goodman, Tommy Hilfiger Sportswear, and L’Oreal have a New York City distribution presence, to name just a few. | |
| MANUFACTURING | | |
8,700 textile, apparel, and accessories manufacturers are located here. New York City has six centers of apparel and accessories manufacturing:
Manhattan
Garment Center
Home to sample rooms, production factories, mid- and high-end couture production, as well as the majority of NYC’s apparel showrooms, designers, and industry suppliers. 76% of employment in the Garment Center is apparel-related
Chinatown
Center of low- and moderately-priced women’s wear production. Apparel firms are, for the most part, contractors.
Brooklyn & Queens
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
The highest concentration of garment manufacturers and contractors outside Manhattan. Specializes in low- and moderately-priced women’s wear.
Long Island City, Queens
Also has a significant cluster of apparel manufacturers and contractors. Firms tend to be larger and more self-contained, handling several aspects of the production process at once.
Two other large clusters of apparel and textile employees are located along the Bushwick/Glendale border of Brooklyn and Queens. | |
 | |
| WHO’S HERE | |
| SUCCESS STORIES | |
| MATRIX GLOBAL ACADEMY | | | Matrix, a leading L'Oreal brand, sought to establish a new training facility and needed space for employees of other brands. The company chose an NYC location for its facilty and office space.
Read more >
| |
| HERMÈS USA | | | The redevelopment of Lower Manhattan inspired Hermès to tap into its mix of potential downtown shoppers. In January 2006, Hermès announced plans to open a 5,400 square foot space store in 2007.
Read more >
| |
| RECENT PRESS | |
| NYC Industrial Development Agency to Help Companies Expand in New York City | |
| NYC Economic Development Corporation and NYC Department of City Planning Select Consultant for Staten Island West Shore Land Use and Transportation Study and Convenes Advisory Committee | |
| ADDITIONAL RESOURCES | |
24 Seven Inc. is the leading talent recruitment agency for the biggest names in fashion, retail, home, beauty, advertising, and entertainment.
American Apparel and Footwear Association is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn products companies, and their suppliers.
Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association of 273 of America’s foremost fashion and accessory designers.
The Fashion Center Business Improvement District is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes New York City's apparel industry and improves the quality of life and economic vitality of Manhattan's garment district.
Garment Industry Development Corporation (GIDC) is a non-profit organization that strengthens New York City’s apparel industry.
Retail Council of New York State is a full-service membership trade association that represents nearly 5,000 stores, of all size and sort, and affiliated businesses throughout NY State.
Apparel Magazine The online home of Apparel Magazine.
Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) The online home of Women’s Wear Daily magazine.
New York City Department of Small Business Services makes it easier for small businesses to do business in New York City. | |
| INCENTIVES | | |
| NYCEDC offers information about a variety of New York City business incentives designed to help businesses thrive. Visit our Financing & Incentives section. | |
| CONTACT INFORMATION | |
For more information on how NYCEDC can help your business in NYC, please contact:
Patrick Murphy
Vice President, Retail, Fashion, and Consumer Products
pmurphy@nycedc.com
(212) 312-4258 | |
|
| | | | RELATED LINKS | Incentive Finder
Use this simple tool to discover which NYC incentives may be applicable to your business. The Five Boroughs
Get highlights about what NYCEDC is doing in each borough. |
| | | PUBLICATIONS | NYCVISION
View this newsletter outlining NYC economic development initiatives. Economic Snapshot
Read our newsletter highlighting NYC employment, consumer spending, real estate and more. |
|  |
|
|