Nearby businesses observed that the store was empty most of the time, aside from the single sales associate. Others say their sales were so small that they were essentially nonexistent. While it was not out of the ordinary to see the store empty, the inside is bare and it is evident that the business is closed for good.
Big corporate chains are able to buy more and therefore take risks and incur losses more easily than "mom and pop" boutiques like Merino. I never hope that businesses like this fail, but it takes a tremendous amount of money and a very creative approach to succeed in independent retail. Blue Genes closed in 2009 and Rhinoceros Boutique relocated then closed in The Shops Around Lenox last year, Decatur's Dresscodes closed at the end of 2008, and Kaleidoscope, a mainstay in Decatur for years, closed this past year. Also in 2010, Lexie + Jane opened and closed inside of three months and is now home to Vetted. LUXE Atlanta and 1*FIVE*O both closed in West Midtown in 2009 and P. Valentine, Knitch and Taste proved having entertainers backing you does not necessarily equate to a successful business, as all have since closed.
Not to be a Debby Downer, but even Barney's New York CoOp at Phipps Plaza has struggled, and may soon cease operations. Emerlyn & Ester, which was recently opened (by entertainer Ne-Yo's girlfriend Monyetta Shaw), nearby retailer Raw Denim, and Jedal at Phipps Plaza, are all in danger of falling under similar circumstances given their locations and product assortment.
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