Wanderlust by Abby just opened for the day, and the Perkins Road store is already filling with shoppers eager to score a special piece from a big summer sale.
Customers rummage the racks of sequined tops and patterned dresses, asking for opinions from the dressing rooms. Owner Abby Bullock’s cell chimes with each register sale.
Despite today’s crowd, Bullock has noticed a concerning new trend over the past 12 to 18 months.
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“I’m on track to make my goal for this year, but I’ve seen no increase in sales,” she says. “They’ve stayed robust, but I just haven’t seen an increase.”
To compensate, she has made small changes and cut unnecessary expenses. She got rid of her water cooler, downsized her storage unit and has been more intentional about what she stocks.
She motions to a full, discounted rack of athleisure toward the back of the shop and tells me she probably won’t stock as much workout gear next year.
Though boutiques have come and gone while Bullock has operated her storefront during the past decade, she says that besides the early days of COVID-19, she’s never seen as many shops exit the brick-and-mortar format.
“It’s so sad, because I think these boutiques are really cute, and a lot of them are (owned by) my friends,” she says.
Nationally, brick-and-mortar retail sales have fluctuated for years, and 2024 saw some big casualties. Names like Family Dollar, Rue 21 and Express announced hundreds of closures across the nation.
Around the Capital Region, quite a few boutiques and retail concepts have recently shuttered for good or opted to shift to an e-commerce model.
Are inflation-fatigued shoppers just not adding to cart? Is a rise in online fast fashion to blame for the retail downturn? On my daily TikTok scrolls, I’ve spied tons of Amazon dupes that cost a fraction of designer prices.
Or is something else at play? After mining for clues in more than 10 closure announcements on Instagram, the bittersweet-but-often-vaguely-worded captions showed that store operators have a litany of reasons for closing doors.
Luke Lognion, former co-owner of BRASS by Circa 1857, tells me his experience taught him that retail is a full-time commitment—and then some. Entrepreneurs need to love running a storefront and maintain the energy to cultivate it.
With his lease ending, he decided to close BRASS in July. Lognion, who is also the managing director of Live After Five and director of the Baton Rouge Arts Market, just didn’t enjoy all the small, mundane tasks required to operate the concept. He’d prefer to focus on other endeavors, he says.
BRASS sold locally made gifts, originally catered to tourists. But there weren’t a lot of out-of-town patrons coming to the downtown shop, either, and overall foot traffic was low.
The Downtown Development District has been investigating how to attract more retail to the neighborhood. A 2024 study by the International Downtown Association showed that the district’s retail sales account for 4.6% of citywide retail sales, compared with 6% in other emerging downtowns. Lognion’s advice for future store runners: Cater to those already living or working in the area by focusing on items like home decor or kitchen wares.
“I really believe in this spot,” he says of the North Boulevard space. “Somebody who knows retail, who actually has an eye for it and actually loves doing it, will be able to thrive in this location.”
“I know it seems like a scary time to do this right now. But, basically I was like, ‘Why not?’”
[—Taylor Paysse on converting her online shop, AnnLian, into a brick-and-mortar]
Taylor Paysse saw her own serendipitous chance to try out a brick-and-mortar for her online concept, AnnLian, after a closure announcement from MAREM owners Emily Rodrigue and Marlo Veillon. In the duo’s Instagram farewell, they suggested their Burbank Drive spot would be perfect for any boutique owner.
Paysse has been able to temporarily sublease the old MAREM space for the past five months, which she says has given her the chance to see how she likes operating a physical shop.
Today at the store, she strikes up conversations and processes purchases all with a smile. We pause our interview a few times so she can ring up customers.
It’s a steamy July day, and Paysse admits the close-to-LSU location can be quiet during summer.
But with the current state of retail, Paysse resorts to a hodgepodge of strategies to lure shoppers. She’s working on adding a T-shirt collection catered to men and designing her own exclusive drops. She’s always looking for unique gems to stock her racks.
“I know it seems like a scary time to do this right now,” Paysse says. “But, basically I was like, ‘Why not? If all these boutiques are closing down and I’ve done so well with pop-ups, just try it out and see.’ … I think we’ve been doing pretty good.”
I catch up with her again in August via text, and she says she is ready to commit to brick-and-mortar. And, she’s in it for the long haul—hoping to lock in a multi-year lease and even scoping out local spots for other locations.
Recent closures
Since 2023, we’ve been keeping tabs on storefront closures and online-only transitions. Some announced their reasonings via social media while others closed up shop with no comment. Here’s a handful we found.
Apricot Lane
Closed: 2023
This Perkins Rowe location made Instagram posts back in October 2023 seeking a new, local owner. But its spot is now occupied by Body Sculpt Barre Baton Rouge.
Blu Spero, now Lily and Park
Closed: 2023
This Baton Rouge-based boutique once had locations as far as Alabama and Florida, but in 2023 it started announcing multiple closures. Now, Blu Spero is known as Lilly and Park and operates online with clothing items similar to what the old storefronts stocked.
The Vintage-Violet
Closed: 2023
Mold in its Mid City building forced The Vintage-Violet to move inventory to storage. It sold off piles of decades-old fashion and luxury items in pop-up liquidation sales.
Dawson Street
Closed: November 2023
The shop owner explained via Instagram that the closure was due to her family’s move to Texas.
Norah
Closed: 2024
The modern interior home and gift shop opened its doors in May 2023. Its last Instagram post was in March 2024. Google states it is permanently closed.
Posh Boutique, now Oat Boutique
Closed: 2024
The Village at Willow Grove spot was known for trendy clothing. After seven years of business, it announced it was transitioning to an online store and rebranding as Oat Boutique. But Oat hasn’t posted on social media since February and could not be reached for comment.
SoSis
Closed: January 2024
SoSis now operates as an online boutique with signature apparel drops. In an Instagram post, owners Annie Claire Bass and Chelsey Blankenship said they wanted to make space for something new in their lives.
MAREM
Closed: March 2024
Owners Emily Rodrigue and Marlo Veillon revealed in an Instagram post that they felt the physical store was taking a lot of energy to run and would be shifting to online-only. Marlo also moved to Lafayette.
Moxi Boutique, now Moxi the Label
Closed: March 2024
This chic Lee Drive shop relaunched online under the new name Moxi the Label. Owner Jenee Esquivel wanted a fresh rebrand that would allow her to sell affordable jewelry and more trendy clothing pieces.
Myla Boutique
Closed: May 2024
In an Instagram video, mother-daughter duo Jamie and Mya Jones shared that they shuttered their Perkins Road shop to put more time and energy into their online operations.
Rose Beton, now Betton Rose Boutique
Closed: May 2024
The fashion-forward brand recently announced its Mall of Louisiana closure. It continues to operate online and at a storefront in the Mall of Georgia.
Local Leaf Gallery
Closed: June 2024
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Local Leaf Gallery now operates via its website. Owner Brittany Rouse says the switch was because she wanted to spend more time with her family.
This article was originally published in the September 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.