B'game has avoided the retail doom loop for the most part. There are always vacancies on the Avenew and on B'way, but they haven't dulled the sense of vibrancy on the streets-yet. Now one of the largest spaces on the Ave is going dark as Pottery Barn has announced it will close in January. The Chron did a piece on the closure and how our store was more than just the average PB:
Malin Kansal, a San Francisco-based real estate agent who worked in Pottery Barn’s corporate office in San Francisco between 2008 and 2012, said that the current “state of affairs” in regard to the retail climate likely contributed to the decision to shutter the Burlingame location. “As we stand here post-COVID-19, the retail climate is changing so much,” said Kansal. “People love shopping online.”
Kansal said that the Pottery Barn in Burlingame functioned as the “model store” for the larger brand: “They used the store to display and take photographs of the items before the start of the season.”
This will be a test of how strong the Avenew is going forward. If it needs to be broken in half a la Anthropologie to rent that will be telling. The new vet at that location, Dr. Treats, is now scheduled to open in January. Say goodbye to Pottery Barn.
