Two Plaza District retailers closing shop
Neighboring retail stores in the Plaza District announced Wednesday they will close their doors in February.
Collected Thread and Tree and Leaf, at 1705A and 1705B NW 16, respectively, announced their decisions online. The businesses are separately owned; however, both occupy a building owned by Tazoma LLC.
“It’s pretty much your typical story, I think,” Collected Thread owner Lindsay Zodrow said. “Retail in general has had a tough couple years.”
Zodrow broke the news to her store’s patrons via blog post on the Collected Thread website and Facebook page Wednesday.
“I am still completely at a loss for words,” Zodrow wrote. “I have decided to close Collected Thread in late February. This has been one of the most heart wrenching decisions I have ever had to make.”
Zodrow hopes this isn’t the end of her time in retail, but isn’t certain of her future plans.
“I love being in retail,” Zodrow said. “I don’t feel like I’m finished, but I don’t have a plan yet. I’m kind of rethinking my next approach.”
Next door, Tree and Leaf also will close in February. Owner Dusty Gilpin wrote a blog for the Tree and Leaf website alerting customers of the news, much like Zodrow.
“With a heavy heart, I am announcing that the brick and mortar retail location of Tree & Leaf in the Plaza will be closing its doors in February of 2018,” Gilpin wrote. “Over the last few years, retail business has become much more of a struggle. There are numerous reasons for the store closure, however, going down that rabbit hole distracts us from the potential opportunities that await.”
Zodrow said she and Gilpin made the decision together to close at the same time. In addition to difficult times for retail, rent increased significantly since Collected Thread opened in 2008.
“The Plaza is such a popular area, and the rent goes up just like everyone else,” Zodrow said. “Us closing at the same time was intentional. (Rent has) more than doubled since we started.”
The stores are separate entities, but occupy a building owned by Tazoma LLC, according to Oklahoma County Assessor records. Attempts to reach anyone representing that entity on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Gilpin alluded to future artistic projects in his blog.
“Tree & Leaf has always had the mission of cultivating community, encouraging creativity, and being active outdoors,” Gilpin wrote. “Our closure is bittersweet, but it will not be an end to our line of unique T-shirts, our events, and our community activism.”
Both owners are planning end-of-store sales and festivities, according to their posts.
“We will finish out this week as a normal week and then begin to mark down products, as well as sell furniture and fixtures and such,” Zodrow wrote.
“As we close the store, we’re going to have some fun with it,” Gilpin wrote. “We’re going to celebrate what we’ve accomplished and make fun of ourselves at the same time. We’re also going to have some fantastic sales!”
Zodrow hopes local consumers will work to support local businesses, and fears the loss of additional stores.
“There’s always a big push to shop local, and that’s always a challenge for people,” Zodrow said. “But I don’t think people realize we will lose a big part of our community if we lose those small businesses, and that’s what makes it worth fighting for.”