Moving In, Moving Out: Brooks Bros. and Barnes & Noble

MOVING IN FOR BROOKS, WHILE IT IS MOVING OUT TIME FOR B&N

The Georgetown Metropolitan broke the news today that the Georgetown Barnes & Noble is closing. Their lease ran out, the landlord bumped up the rent, and so another one bites the dust. Up Wisconsin, Room With A View is also closing. And today, three years after signing the lease, Brooks Brothers began the process of moving merchandise into the space at the corner of 31st and M Streets. 

This anonymous entry was posted on GM's comments. The writer sounds informed, for better or worse. I don't thrill to the idea of a larger H&M or a Target, even if a smaller Target. And Forever 21? Whaaa?

"B&N is slowly but surely getting out of the superstore biz nationally. They are closing stores all over the US. At the M Street store, the lease actually expired several months ago (I believe back in Feb.). Right now they are hanging on until the G’town Park project starts. Vornado owns the B&N site as well as Georgetown Park. My understanding is that one of the name tenants at the mall will move to the B&N space (probably H&M). At the same time a number of big deals are in the works for the mall — I believe that the Bloomingdales deal is still on as well as a very large Forever 21 (almost 70,000 sf) and a more modest (for them) Target (80,000 sf). As for B&N it is a sad shadow of its former self — frankly the days of 30,000+ sf bookstores are gone. Look at how much shelf space is devoted to non-book items like toys and gifts. This is really a back to the future moment where small (well run) independents like Politics and Prose, Kramers, Bridge Street, etc. will once again dominate the bricks and mortar book retail market. B&N will probably be unrecognizable in five years — if it even still exists."

 

Comments

[Steve D.]

Hmmm...7:10AM. Good Saturday morning. The quiet calm for sure. Tysons/McLean, Tree lined along RT123.
Looks more like a tropical storm predicted. But still equates to rain, flash floods and high winds. Can only hope that tree lined route remains clear, it is my route to and fro' The overnight pack will be in tow.

Time to get some rest, the adrenaline will certainly be "on" tonight.

~Steve~