Pottery Barn Kids is closing its Walnut Creek store, between the Apple Store and Barnes and Noble on South Main Street as of January 17.
A sign in the window said the store will be closed permanently as of Sunday, January 17. Other Pottery Barn Kids locations in the Bay Area in the Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton and in the Village at Corte Madera.
In other downtown retail news ...Or, rather, I have a question.
Has anyone shopped at the Eco Shoppe? It's part of the same company that operates the Vitamin Shoppe next door in Olympic Place.
Olympic Place, and this corner of Mt. Diablo Boulevard and Locust Street have proven to be tricky locations for retailers, despite the presence of the movie theater. Remember Bombay Company, which closed last fall?
I'm pretty sure the Eco Shoppe has had 50-percent off signs in its window ever since it opened. It sells eco-friendly home furnishings, such as bedding, clothing, baby supplies, personal care products, and books and gifts. I've never been in. Maybe I should check it out, and maybe it has nice stuff.
Just wondering.
23 comments:
I'm all for being green, but it shouldn't empty my wallet! I've browsed the Eco Shop and was floored at the outragous prices.
I'd rather shop online, or with small merchants on etsy.com
The rents downtown, and especially in that building, are so high that I don't think anything but established chains can survive. It will be interesting to see what happens with that building, the empty Chili's and that corner by Kaiser where Pinky's used to be. Something's got to give.
The owner of the property where Pinky's used to be failed to make lots of needed repairs while raising the rent forcing tenants to go elsewhere or just close down.
There are probably plans for that parcel down at city hall to develop something taller and denser than the General Plan allows. After all, it's an "underutilized " piece of property and the area needs more "vibrancy".
My little uns loved PBK...shame.
Walnut Creek Magazine reports in their January issue that The Gap is moving into the Pottery Barn for Kids location. Check them out for all the latest accurate business buzz. Lots of new shops and restaurants opening on Main Street.
Thanks for the info Walnut Creek magazine!
Thanks for the info Walnut Creek magazine!
Dear 12:54 a.m.
Thanks very much for your comment and for reading my blog, and for your information. I did need to remove your comment about the possibility of a certain retailer not extending its lease because such information is not yet confirmed. But I'll check into it.
Oh, and 12:54,
If you do hear any more, please feel free to contact me, either by posting a comment, or by e-mailing me directly at crazyinsuburbia@gmail.com.
Again, I'm sorry I had to remove your comment, and I do appreciate you contacting me.
I heard PBKs is closing about 12 stores so this is not a local issue.
Ah, that was a cute store. Ava spent a summer afternoon testing out the beds, comforters and toys. We took a few cute pictures. In real life, we don't shop that much, but the store was beautiful.
I hope this means gap for kids is due to come back!
Wow, that is sad :( but on the other hand, Gap needs to be much bigger, and I really hope they bring the kid part back up stairs perhaps??
I forgot to add my comment about Eco shop. I give it about 6 more months if that. I went in there an it truly wasn't anything special at all. Whole Foods is better in their gift area than they are! As for the vitamin shop......again Whole Foods is more warm and inviting.
SM, I'm confused about why you feel you have to verify the accuracy of a blog post. Surely comments are not held to journalistic standards, such as they are these days?
By the way, I saw the question before you removed it and I've seen that same question posted on other blogs. I'm curious about it myself so I've tried to follow the issue.
The Vitamin Shoppe is flat out s c a r y.
I was hoping to see more of an Elphant Pharmacy type supplment/herb/vitamin store. Instead, holy body building supplment store.
No thanks.
7:19 p.m.
You raise a good and challenging question. I take comments on a case by case basis, and there is a fine line in some of these situations. But it seems to me--and you and others can disagree--that stating a certain retailer is not going to renew a lease because it can't sustain its business is an assertion of fact. It's not an opinion. What if this rumor is wrong, and the business is doing okay, or even it is struggling, but will try to hold on and will be staying?
It gets down to fact versus opinion, and sometimes that can be a fine line. I recently had a situation where someone asserted that a named person was fired from his job for incompetence. Maybe, maybe not. To me, that's different than someone commented saying "I think" this guy's a crank and was bad at his job. That's the writer's opinion. But to say someone was actually fired because he was lousy at his job... well, maybe he wasn't fired. Maybe he was "laid off," or maybe he was let go because he and the boss just didn't see eye to eye...
"Smith's Jewelry" has lousy service and its baubles are overpriced and probably too upscale for even this market. Opinion. "Smith's Jewelry" is going out of business and will not renew its lease and close up shop. An assertion of fact.
Soccer Mom doesn't know what she's talking about, and she's stupid and says wacky things, and she doesn't deserve an audience. An opinion. Soccer Mom is going to stop writing her blog, because she's stupid. Part of that is an assertion of fact. Part of that is opinion.
I'd take issue with that assertion of fact. I don't intend to stop writing this blog. At least this week. We'll see how I'll feel next week....
Actually, this would be worth a whole other blog! And I'd love to see what people, including libel lawyers and First Amendment experts have to say.
Hello Soccer Mom,
You claim to be a journalist so perhaps you should delineate that you specialize in commentary. Then you could do news as well, of course. For example, you defended yourself very well indeed in your latest post.
This is just a suggestion, because I think you do your best work in your observations upon how things work well or how they may not.
Frequent Reader
Dear Frequent Reader,
I will take that under advisement.
I have to admit that I am very sad to hear about this store closing. When I was pregnant with my oldest I spent lots of time in the store planning the perfect nursery, picturing what she would be like, etc. Oh and lots of sitting. They had such great comfy chairs I would use it as a resting spot while I was out shopping. While I don't have an all pbkids nursery I have some great pieces and sheets that are great quality. 3 years later and lots of wear and tear from a toddler and they look like new.
I can't believe the soppy comments about the passing of a chain store. Is that what life in WC is all about?
The closure of locally owned and operated shops is much more disturbing and usually due to the opening of more chain stores.
Becoming just another cookie cutter shopping mecca should be the issue here.
Memories are made by locals who know their clientel, provide friendly service and really care about being a part of the community in which they do business.
Once you discover all the information about http://www.julianopottery.com/ we have put together for you, you won't need to look anywhere else again.
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