It's taken a while, but the newest addition to the BLVD Place shopping center has opened with a bunch of new stores that are attracting customers interested in everything from a new phone to a hip pair of glasses.
The big new Verizon Wireless Destination Store is no ho-hum average cell phone shop. The state-of-the-art, two story flagship store — one of only three in the nation, including sites in Minnesota (Mall of America) and Chicago — boasts 140 screens to help customer's access information and an expansive 14-foot gestured-based interactive curved wall, illustrating various sports, music and travel products.
New stores are attracting customers interested in everything from a new phone to a hip pair of glasses.
Other new retail stores include the third location of the trendy eyewear shop, The Eye Gallery, now open, with a variety of cutting-edge designers including Dita, Harry Larry, Theo, Thom Browne and Thierry Lasry, and a new Elaine Turner store, which opens Dec. 15 with a grand opening celebration on Dec. 16 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. It is the 10th location for the rapidly expanding Houston-based accessories brand.
Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt recently opened its fifth Houston location with a holiday food drive benefiting the Houston Food Bank, boosted by the appearance of former Green Bay Packers player and Texas native Javon Walker.
A lavish Whole Foods Market and True Foods, the health food restaurant pioneered by Dr. Andrew Weil, round out the new offerings at the shopping center located on San Felipe at Post Oak.
Inside Verizon
At 12,224 square-feet, the Verizon store offers plenty of room for shoppers to stock up on goods without elbow jabs, although punches may still be thrown over dibs on playing with all of the alluring gadgets and gear found in six Lifestyle Zones:
Amplify It
The towering “Wall of Sound” features a stack of 136 speakers to match your musical taste, plus a vast selection of high-end headsets. A digital DJ booth allows you to listen to your favorite music genre and, best of all, create a custom ring tone. Get your creative juices ready.
Customize It
Create a one-of-a-kind smartphone case masterpiece using personal photos and custom colors at an on-site photo booth. Shop it up, and then pick up your pièce de résistance, ready in just 20 minutes.
Get Fit
Get a jump on your New Year fitness plan. You'll find resources here that will measure your activity progress, set and maintain fitness goals and do just about everything else for you, minus the actual exercise. Test out your gadget while using the in-store stationary bike, basketball hoop or soccer station to experience how your accessory works in connection with your smartphone.
Have Fun
Avid gamers rejoice, this section features a range of tech toys, available to try first-hand. Parents take note: The interactive Sony PlayStation kids zone is located here, too.
Home and On The Go
For those who are always losing their keys (no judgment here), invest in a device that unlocks and open doors via your wireless device. You'll also find tools to turn lights on and off, and monitor your home via a remote camera.
Anywhere Business
Head to the second-floor business zone where the needs of the city's energy and healthcare industries are addressed via business-friendly technology and smart accessories to support telemedicine and oil well monitoring. Adjacent is the Wireless Workshop area with seating for personalized hands-on training.
Houston was the perfect choice for expansion according to Verizon spokeswoman Gretchen Whitaker. “We are excited to open the largest Verizon Destination Store in the country, and first in the South, right here in Houston, a city that embraces technology and inspires innovation," she said. "Houston shoppers are diverse and use technology in their own unique ways to support their mobile lifestyles.”
The Amplify It zone at the new Verizon store features high-end headsets, 136 speakers and a digital DJ booth.
