I’m really sorry to see this business close because the woman who owns it is a lovely person. I am however not surprised at all. It’s is a beautiful shop but way too expensive for the times we live in that reality will not be changing soon. At least 20 similar places downtown have closed in the last year and they had a lot more actual buying traffic than Ballard does. The bars and restaurants are full here but bar goers are not neighborhood retail shoppers.
I have often stopped but never bought anything because I am too fat to wear anything in the place. The younger women who can wear it do not have the money to buy it and it was not quite trendy enough for teens. The clothing is geared toward the 30 something moms who are having babies and buying houses and buying a house in Ballard means you have no discretionary income left over. That was different when houses were appreciating like a wild fire and idiots were living on their equity but that is also over for a long time.
I was in there once with Jules and that is exactly the conversation we had with the owner. She told me that I am the person she would like to sell to but it is impossible to find what I will buy. It’s a major mistake that clothing manufacturers are making so retailers have little choice. Manufacturers are not paying attention to the demographics in this country. I am a huge recreational shopper and also a clothing shopper but it only took a few trips to Ballard to see that there was little I would buy.
Her jewelry, which is great, is surprisingly well priced. The problem there is that it is not anything that the average home jewelry, me, maker cannot make. Go to any craft far these days and you will see what I mean. It’s what’s trendy but it’s simple and is not fine jewelry.
