September 25, 2015

Carhartt comes home, opens flagship Detroit store on campus

Carhartt, known for its rugged workwear brand clothing, recently celebrated a homecoming of sorts with the opening of its Midtown store at 5800 Cass Avenue,

Carhartt, known for its rugged workwear brand clothing, recently celebrated a homecoming of sorts with the opening of its Midtown store at 5800 Cass Avenue, near Wayne State’s Academic/Administrative Building.

The first 500 shoppers, who were predominately WSU students and staff, received a free limited edition Carhartt/Detroit T-shirt, exhausting the inventory in just one hour.

Carrying the Detroit moniker a bit further, Carhartt management said that due to popular demand, they’re currently in the process of creating more Detroit themed T-shirts to add to the store inventory of 540 styles of men’s, women’s and kids’ apparel, footwear and accessories.

“It’s all about our consumer and making it easy for them to find Carhartt,” said Jamie Millar, the company’s vice president of retail. “Midtown was a logical pick based on the renaissance of the Midtown area, and the building made for a great location for Carhartt to have I-94 exposure and closeness to the future M-1 Rail.” He added that Carhartt looks forward to a long and healthy relationship with Wayne State.

The retailer occupies the first floor of the three-story, 51,000 square foot historic building, and provides free parking for shoppers on the first floor of the adjoining parking ramp. Designed in 1928 by local architect Charles Agree, the building was originally home to Marmon Motors auto dealership, then 40-plus years as the Cass Motors dealership.

During the six-month building renovation phase, which began in February 2015, much effort was employed to leave Detroit’s and Michigan’s imprint.

Reclaimed wood from Detroit homes was used to build the table tops, storefront window, back wall, dressing rooms and conference room. Counter tops, building signs, concrete floor refurbishment and floor rugs were sourced from Michigan companies.

The Detroit theme continues outside on the building’s north wall facing I-94. A 500x55 foot mural celebrates workers in various industries who have helped shape the city of Detroit.

Founded 126 years ago in Detroit, Carhartt has established 20 company-owned stores while maintaining a strong Web presence for its shoppers. The launch of their flagship store in Midtown on Wayne State’s campus represents the fulfillment of a goal that management says makes perfect sense.