By the turn of the 20th century, as the Ladies Mile’s popularity rose and attracted more middle class consumers, many upscale department stores sought to relocate further uptown, following the residential migration of the elite patrons they targeted. New York department stores began opening mammoth retail palaces in the streets surrounding Herald Square, led by Sak’s on 34th. Over the next decade, no fewer than seven leading fashion retail establishments crept up Fifth Avenue and clustered around 34th Street.
