Thursday, January 21, 2016

Is The Party is Over For Festivity?

Local boutique closes.
Atlanta-based Festivity, an independent women's clothing, accessories, home decor and gift boutique, has reportedly filed for bankruptcy and has closed all of its stores.  

Festivity operated four locations in metro Atlanta: two in Buckhead, one in Peachtree Corners (Norcross), and one at Atlantic Station.  The Buckhead stores were in Peachtree Battle Shopping Center and Powers Ferry Square, while the Peachtree Corners (Norcross) store was in The Forum on Peachtree Parkway.  

Festivity previously operated a store in Virginia Highland between Moe's and Joe's and George's.   It is today a bike shop.

In addition to the Atlanta locations, Festivity operated stores in Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina.  Although their website is down, online searches show Festivity operating a single unit in Birmingham (Homewood), one in Columbia, SC, and two in Nashville.  

A brief internet search shows Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings yesterday for "Festivity Group Alabama, LLC,"  "Festivity Group Tenn, LLC," "Festivity Group SC LLC" and "Festivity Group Atlantic Station, LLC."

Festivity was started by owner and founder Colleen Nilan as an event planning and design company in 1996.  The first brick & mortar Festivity boutique opened in Buckhead in 1999.  The company was subsequently expanded to include eCommerce.  

Although Festivity stores are listed as remaining open until 6PM, calls to all of their stores and even their corporate office on Zonolite Road all went unanswered between 4 and 5pm yesterday.  The phone number to the Birmingham and Norcross stores seemed to have already been disconnected, suggesting that they may have previously closed.  

Sources indicate that today marks day two that both Buckhead stores have remained closed during normal business hours.  

The main Festivity Facebook page is still live, but was last updated January 13th, from Columbia, SC.  


I visited the Powers Ferry Square location after hours Wednesday and found a store that not only looked normal but had signage indicating they were actively hiring.  

Were you a fan of Festivity?  If all stores remain closed, what would you like to see open in their place in metro Atlanta? What is your favorite Atlanta boutique?  

Please share your thoughts below. 

10 comments:

Rachel said...

I just received a gift card to Festivity that hasn't been used yet, so that sucks...

Rebecca said...

I was the store manager at the homewood location and found out via email on Tuesday night that all stores were closing. So to all of you who have gift cards, etc I do apologize, but keep in mind that as employees, we are now out of jobs with no hope of pay for time rendered since this process began.
We loved our wonderful customers and are grieving over this loss.
Thanks for your years of patronage at the Homewood store. All of you will be missed.
Love Homewood best place to work!

Jewel at Eat.Drink.Shop.Love said...

Is there going to be a liquidation sale.

Jewel at Eat.Drink.Shop.Love said...

Are they going to have a liquidation sale?

Anonymous said...

We are right down Reese street and carry contemporary to cocktail dresses. The Dress Shop on Linden on the corner of Reese Street and Linden Ave with parking off of Reese Street. 205-739-2152.

English said...

I remember two good jewelry artist friends who struggled to get paid for work that was sold/purchased (over $6k!). I also heard from some vendors that they, too, had a hard time getting paid. So I would guess it all came crashing down when people really did want payment for goods purchased.

Anonymous said...

Colleen ducked vendors that she bought from. She was notorious for using multiple credit cards to get an order through. She even went so far as to claim her corporate Amex had been stolen to avoid payment. We got our money but she was miserable to deal with. I feel sorry for the employees; they knew she was a nut and that this was a shell game. Karma!

Anonymous said...

It used to be Just The Thing on Pharr Road.......They should reopen!!

Anonymous said...

I'm a vendor who has continually had to chase Festivity for payment over the years. I will now be out a couple of grand that Festivity has not paid me, but there are others who have been worse screwed. Festivity's management is inept and unprincipled. This does not come as a terrible surprise.

Anonymous said...

Heard that Colleen and Chris have split up. Who will pay for all that private school tuition now that they can't play games with the business. I bet a dollar to a doughnut I will see her next week at Atlanta Gift Market, buying stuff she can't afford!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...