Fresh Field’s

Marshall Field’s, the Minneapolis-based division of The May Department Stores Co. (St. Louis), has announced plans to remodel its flagship store in downtown Minneapolis. The plans include a transformation of the interior throughout the store and a complete remodel on the first floor, including an expanded Louis Vuitton boutique.

The renovation is underway now and is expected to be complete by fall of 2006. It has started with the relocation of Marshall Field’s Optical from the fifth floor to a more visible and modern space on the first floor.

In the fall, the existing Louis Vuitton boutique will relocate from its current space on the first floor to a new, contemporary boutique more than four times its original size. The new 1700-square-foot boutique will be one of the largest Louis Vuitton boutiques in the Midwest and will feature an expanded assortment of leather goods, luggage and accessories. It is scheduled to open in late October 2005.

In addition, Barbara’s Bookstore, the largest independent purveyor of books in the Chicago market, will open at the Minneapolis store in the fall, occupying approximately 1500 square feet on the lower level. And Signoria di Firenze, maker of hand-embroidered Italian luxury linens, will expand its exiting space on the lower level to 350 square feet.

The company says the remodel is part of its overall strategy “to establish a clear point of differentiation by injecting newness into its assortments, creating excitement in its stores and making the shopping experience more convenient for its guests. Marshall Field’s continues to raise the bar in retail beginning with the dramatic reinvention of its State Street store in Chicago, and continuing with Marshall Field’s recently announced plans to open a new store in Bolingbrook, Ill., and significantly remodel and expand its store at the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, Mich.”