Maille Boutique Undermined by Fairway Mustard Sale Pricing

In 2014, a Maille boutique opened on Columbus Avenue between 68th and 69th streets.  According to Wikipedia, this is the fifth such boutique, following ones in Dijon, London and two in Paris.

Rents are stratospheric on this section of Columbus Avenue, and other nearby business establishments are able to cover the high rent by having premium priced goods (e.g., Kate Spade, Club Monaco, Theory),  high traffic (e.g., Joe Coffee) or some combination of premium pricing and high traffic (e.g., Papyrus, Bin71, Juice Press, Athleta.)

The Maille brand originated in France in 1723, and is not unknown in America, but only has a niche share in the overall condiment market, so the store is probably an attempt to gain consumers’ recognition of Maille as a premium quality brand in the mustard and condiments market.   The store is never very busy, and perhaps Maille, and its corporate owner Unilever, treats it as a promotional cost, and has never compared the store sales to the rent.

A few months after the Columbus Avenue Maille boutique had opened, I spotted Maille mustard on a “big sale” at the Fairway on 74th and Broadway, and the $3.79 per jar pricing was probably not in keeping with the premium image Maille is hoping to achieve for the brand since it is selling for $9 for a similarly sized jar at the nearby Columbus Avenue boutique!  Welcome to the Upper West Side.