The company has stores in Chevy Chase and at Tysons Corner mall in Northern Virginia.
General Growth Properties, owner of Towson Town Center, decided to open a luxury wing after an upscale retailer showed interest in the mall. The mall owner did studies that found that the surrounding demographics could support luxury stores. Bloom said that the luxury stores that have moved in so for have done well. Burberry added more children's products, including diaper bags, to better serve the number of families in the area. Burberry did not return calls yesterday.
The new Louis Vuitton store has a purse bar where customers can sit on leather stools and view the latest products. It sells everything from scarves, ties and briefcases to purses, luggage and wallets. There were no shoes. Two guards in black suits watch the store and greet customers. The service is top priority, with sales associates giving the history of products.
Vintage Louis Vuitton prints hang throughout the store. To the left of the entrance sits a vintage Louis Vuitton hatbox made in 1913. The LV initials on the box are hand-painted.
Mall officials said about a half-dozen people were waiting outside the store when it opened Wednesday. By noon there was a steady stream of people coming in and out. Some people came to window-shop, while others were ready to splurge.
A woman looking at a briefcase wasn't quite ready to make the purchase after seeing the price of more than $600. "My husband doesn't deserve that yet," she said.
But a man in a suit put a $650 purse on hold for a lucky woman. "This is definitely doable," he said.
Dee Bakare, a 30-year-old accountant who works down the street from Towson Town Center, came by the store to look for sandals, but discovered it didn't sell shoes. He said he'll be back and is glad there is a store now more convenient to him.
"Their stuff is unique," he said of Louis Vuitton. "That's why you pay the big bucks for it, because it's unique and different."
