DETROIT — Downtown bustled this week with shoppers like Bill Atwood, 55, who stopped by GW Home to buy his wife a lamp for Christmas. The Detroiter has lived in Brush Park for 26 years and remembers the scarce retail offerings back then.

“I always dreamed of being able to Christmas shop here,” he said. “Back in 1999 there was almost nothing here. There was McCrory’s five and dime store. Maybe that was it. It's amazing.”

Times have changed. Downtown Detroit has seen a wave of retail openings this year and Bedrock says more are expected in 2026. In addition to GW Home, the most recent offerings include Free People, ALO Yoga, Apple, CAVA, Tecovas, Timberland and Toastique. Bedrock says these additions are helping boost foot traffic, extend weekend visits and give residents and visitors more reasons to explore downtown.

The focus has shifted from proving downtown’s potential to building the right retail mix, said Naumann Idress, senior vice president of leasing at Bedrock: “I think 10 years ago trying to prove downtown's potential, and today, we're past that.

"You know, it's a different time in terms of Detroit. It's reminding people that there is something new to come see, shop, do, experience on a regular basis here. And now it's about curating the right mix going forward and filling the needs of the customer.”

National brands are choosing Detroit because they see long-term demand, he added: “The national brands are pretty sophisticated. They'll go where they think there is a customer, there is enough demand. They're very thoughtful in their approach and they see Detroit as a place that they need to have a home.”

Idress called Apple Inc. and its Detroit store a wonderful example. Apple CEO Tim Cook was present to open the doors of the company’s store on Woodward in September.

“They're seeing long-term confidence in downtown Detroit,” he said. “Otherwise, they wouldn't have opened here. And I think that Tim Cook, being here opening the doors for the store in downtown Detroit says a lot. He does not go to all of their openings. And so, we thought that was very important. Their decisions are very much driven on their ability to know that there is a customer here.”

Downtown Detroit has recorded about 30 million visits and 8.5 million visitors so far this year, according to the Downtown Detroit Partnership. As of mid-December, the area had 301 restaurants, retail and personal service businesses, also referred to as small businesses, including 26 that opened in 2025.

Cari Easterday, vice president of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, said the presence of national retailers helps draw shoppers who then explore other businesses.

“The thing about the national retailer that is really exciting for the downtown is it really creates an opportunity for destination shopping,” Easterday said. “Coming downtown for ALO or Apple or Free People gets people interested in coming into our downtown to not just visit those places, but also have the opportunity to explore the other businesses that are within the downtown community.”

The Downtown Detroit Partnership concluded this week its first 25 Days of December shopping campaign designed to boost holiday foot traffic. The program included 40 businesses and encouraged shoppers to visit multiple locations, offering instant rewards and entries for prize drawings. GH Home was the lead prize, offering one winner a $5,000 shopping spree, Easterday said.

In June, Gardner White returned to its Detroit roots with the opening of its new concept, GW Home on Woodward. Since it's opening, the company said it has seen customers from across metro Detroit, including city residents and shoppers from the surrounding suburbs.

The most popular items include Detroit Rose candles, Serax bud vases, Ichendorf glass timers, Graf Lantz coasters, Kawabon trays, and Form & Seek color-changing vases in collaboration with Detroit-based ArtClvb, along with furniture from Jonathan Louis’ Noah collection, Rowe’s Dorset and pieces from Four Hands and Floyd.

Atwood, who recently purchased the lamp, said he tries to support many of the businesses downtown and that he’s pleased shoppers can do substantial shopping.

“And to see all the people is like, that's probably the most remarkable thing,” he said. “The sidewalks used to be empty. Me and my dog had the whole city to ourselves down here walking on Woodward Avenue. So it's nice to have all these people.”

Bedrock expects more experiential and event-based concepts are planned for downtown, with several openings expected in 2026, including Cosm, Chick-fil-A and Joe Louis Southern Kitchen, Idress said — and finding more businesses that fit the pace of Detroit.

Ryan Murphy, head of marketing for Timberland Americas, said the company is rooted in hard work, community and self-expression — values he said Detroit embodies. The brand opened its store downtown in November.

“Opening our first freestanding store on Woodward Avenue is about honoring that connection and being part of the city’s ongoing story,” Murphy wrote in an email.

Western wear brand Tecovas is among the new businesses occupying ground floor retail space at Hudson's Detroit office building. Since opening in October, the brand said its Annie and Cartwright boots have been top sellers in Detroit, along with strong interest in the bags, wallets and belts. Customers can customize their boots with branding, shaping and receive a complimentary boot shine.

On a recent afternoon, a handful of diners stopped by CAVA, picking fresh Mediterranean bowls. The downtown Detroit location opened in September, following the brand’s first Michigan restaurant in Canton in July.

Gino Carlin, regional director at CAVA, said diners seeking convenient, healthy food, along with steady foot traffic on Woodward Avenue, made the area a good fit.

Easterday said she believes the downtown will continue to see growth with both retail and food and beverage in 2026.

“We have a tremendous amount of opportunities and amazing restaurants and bars,” she said. “We would really like to see, and I think that we're starting to see that, both with the attraction of national retailers through what Bedrock is doing, but also efforts around the (Detroit Economic Growth Corporation) to really help build our local retailer ecosystem.”

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