Wednesday, January 5, 2022

[CLOSURE ALERT] Williams-Sonoma Shutting Lenox Store Soon

On the heels of news that luxury timepiece retailer Tourneau plans to close its Lenox Square outpost comes news that Williams-Sonoma will also close its store at the Buckhead mall later this month.  According to a store employee, the store is scheduled to close January 23, with select in-store merchandise, including food items, furniture, as well as open box cookware, electrics and cutlery, being offered at 20% to 50% off.  The more than 8,200 square foot store is located on the mall's second level, not far from Bloomingdale's.  

San Francisco-based Williams-Sonoma announced plans in March 2021 to reduce its brick & mortar store count, renegotiating some leases while letting other leases expire.  The company hopes to "right size" its store fleet, shedding as much as 25% of its store count, but also relocating some stores to more desirable locations as in Alpharetta where they moved from North Point Mall to Avalon.  

The company previously had a store in Phipps Plaza, also in Buckhead, but had consolidated their area operations to Lenox Square, and actually increased the size of the store, too.  The former Williams-Sonoma at Phipps Plaza was later replaced by competing retailer Sur La Table.  

Last July, Sur La Table filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed dozens of stores nationwide including both its Phipps Plaza and North Point Mall stores, leaving the Seattle-based retailer without a presence in the state.  (The company had previously closed a store in Dunwoody's Perimeter Mall.) 

Williams-Sonoma, Inc., (NYSE: WSM) which also owns Pottery Barn and West Elm, delivered what one FORBES retail reporter called a "home run," with "outstanding" third quarter results driven by a 16% increase in revenue on a 16.9% increase in “comparable brand” sales, its equivalent of same store sales.  

In years past, Williams-Sonoma has closed Atlanta area stores including those at the aforementioned North Point Mall in Alpharetta and Phipps Plaza in Buckhead in addition to those at Mall of Georgia in Buford and Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth. 

In addition to the Buckhead closure, online reports indicate the company is also closing stores in Crossgates Mall in Albany, New York and Destiny USA in Syracuse, New York as well as a store in Midtowne shopping center in Little Rock, Arkansas.    

The company continues to operate five full-line stores in metro Atlanta: Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Avalon in Alpharetta, Avenue East Cobb in East Cobb, The Forum on Peachtree Parkway Peachtree Corners and Avenue Peachtree City in Peachtree City. Williams-Sonoma also operates an outlet at North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville.  

Williams-Sonoma-owned Pottery Barn and West Elm each continue to operate Buckhead stores in Lenox Square (Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids), and Shops Around Lenox, respectively.  

Are you surprised to see Williams-Sonoma closing their store at Lenox Square in Buckhead?  When was the last time you purchased something from Williams-Sonoma?  What one word comes to mind when you think of Lenox Square?

Please share your thoughts below.  

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

W-S is also planning to close their store at the Forum. The employee said that Ponce and Avalon locations will remain but was not sure about the other locations around Metro Atlanta.

Anonymous said...

It is very sad what has happened in Buckhead. I live 8 miles from Buckhead but really don't do any shopping or dining there anymore.
Still shop at Williams and Sonoma at the Forum. The last thing we bought there was a cookware set. Sometimes it is just nice to shop at a store and not online. Hopefully the situation will get better in Buckhead!!

Anonymous said...

The folks at the Peachtree Corners store said that location is also closing.

Ham said...

Yes, I always enjoyed Lenox and Williams Sonoma. However, as I mentioned in another post, I visit less and less. I do hit up the location at The Forum and enjoy picking up items even if they are a bit overpriced.

Anonymous said...

yoo gotz kulturally enriched mayhgn! coming to other cities soon!

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed shopping at WS in the 90s and early 2000s. I enjoyed going to Lenox Mall. I do not shop there anymore. I agree the WS store at the Forum can be overpriced. I haven't been to the outlet store in Dawsonville for many years. I did purchase a Dualit toaster for my sister for 99.00. unheard of these days. I hope Lenox turns around one day.

Unknown said...

I guess since I'm just reading this now, I don't shop there enough. Had nothing to do with WS. I like the store. It's the Lenox mall. There are so many other safer places to shop....like my couch. RIP Lenox Square.

Anonymous said...

So sad that also the Naperville IL store closed as well.

Anonymous said...

I wonder which remaining store is there flagship now?

Anonymous said...

They shouldn’t have closed the mog location.

Anonymous said...

I’m so bummed. To me, WS was one of the few stores it was worth going to Lenox Square to visit.

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