Aug 26, 2010

Afternoon plans Midtown Crossing storeBy John KeenanOmaha.com

Omaha, NE – When Marie Clifford was on a buying trip to New York last week, the owner of the Afternoon, a popular Omaha gift shop, let herself go a little.

“I ordered things I haven’t dared to order before, very high-design, very contemporary,” she said. “One (item), for instance, is a table done by a craftsman, with a metal base that curves and seems to be off-balance … it’s a handcrafted, one-of-a-kind thing.”

Don’t look for the table at Clifford’s store in Westroads Mall, though. The table is destined for the second Afternoon location in the Omaha area, which is expected to open Nov. 1 at Midtown Crossing, Mutual of Omaha’s 15-acre, mixed-use urban development near 33rd and Farnam Streets.

The Afternoon will move into a 2,500-square-foot storefront in the development, next to Delice European Bakery and Café, which is scheduled to open this month or in early September.

In the current sluggish economy, still recovering from recession, expansion might seem to be an imprudent move. But Clifford sees an opportunity: The chance to participate in the excitement of a new development and to reach a completely new audience.

“I think we’re going to have urban dwellers, a younger market, more childless people. The inventory is going to be more cutting edge, more trendy.”

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