Raw Denim, owned by Emily Lipman of Bravo's "The New Atlanta," has closed its midtown boutique but will continue as a "clicks & mortar" business operating online only. The midtown boutique closed for good a few days ago. The boutique moved late last year from its original home on East Andrews Drive in Buckhead to its most recent home at the 77 12th development in midtown.
On March 8th, the store was burglarized on a busy Saturday afternoon. This theft of over $10,000 in merchandise follows another theft that occurred after hours at the previous location.
Thread House, another high-end boutique, closed its location at Plaza Midtown on West Peachtree Street in 2008 following a rash of burglaries. Its replacement, eModa, closed after less than a year in business, in 2009. Buckhead's Blue Genes boutique was also forced to close in 2009 following multiple thefts from their store at the Shops Around Lenox totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Although I've not heard of any burglaries, Republic of Couture, which opened near Cafe Intermezzo on Peachtree Street in midtown last year, may soon decide to make a similar move online. If recent history teaches us anything, it's that boutique retail is a losing proposition in midtown. DrewLewis, a popular men's boutique, relocated from their original location at the Mid-City lofts to a larger, more expensive space at the Shops at Metropolis, but closed in 2012.
8 comments:
Not sad to see that go, their existence smelled like a desperation move by building management in the first place, if they're trying to lure tenants on the level of CB2.
By the way, Warby Parker is coming to Buckhead Atlanta -- this is big news, they only have like 6 stores and are hugely popular. http://buckheadview.com/2014/04/04/warby-parker-eyewear-boutique-coming-to-buckhe…
I don't think the problem is of retail succeeding on the "Midtown Mile." Rather, it's a question of what kind of retail. All of these stores sold expensive denim. That's the common denominator, not "retail."
Raw Denim is not on the Midtown Mile.
Well with so many thugs roaming around Atlanta ready to steal at a moment's notice, it is no wonder.
I was in Republic of Culture one workday afternoon when some young guys came in a grabbed an arm full fo jeans off one of their tables and ran out. It happened so fast neither the sales people nor my self knew what was going on. Still, I rarely see other shoppers when I got into ROC. Most of their clothing is high-end (i.e. expensive) club clothing that is sold in area surrounded by Law and Accounting firms. I like the store, but it never seemed like a good match for the area.
I think the RoC spot would do much better as just a Banana Republic. Simple stuff where people can buy work and casual clothes.
What someone should do is start a small "boutique" department store in Midtown, and buy the rights to use the "Rich's" name, kind of in the same vein as Gus Mayer in Birmingham or Larrimor's in Pittsburgh. I feel like something like that would actually attract both the fashionable and professional folks in Midtown. Heck, even throw in a "Magnolia Room" cafe in there.
Piola's pizza across in 1010 seems to have closed also. Windows are papered over with a note about some other restaurant coming soon....
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