It’s the end of an era for Los Angeles-based boutique Ron Robinson. After 41 years of business, owner Ron Robinson announced the closing of his namesake shops located in Melrose and Santa Monica.
While the brick-and-mortar locations are winding down, the online store will continue on, and Robinson’s line of fragrance and apothecary products, Apothia, will expand even further by the end of the year.
In a statement made on the Ron Robinson website, Robinson explained that the decision was “not forced” and was instead a deliberate choice to close when business was at its strongest.
“While the decision to move beyond our original Melrose Avenue and flagship locations may come as a shock to some, the decision was not forced; it’s not something that I just thought of; it is something that I have been planning for a while,” he explained. “Time and life came together as best as could be for this decision.”
The stores currently carry denim styles for men, women and kids from Neuw Denim and Stella McCartney.
The Santa Monica location will officially close its doors next month and the store on Melrose will close in early 2020. It will host in-store “happy ending” events throughout winter, with curated vendor collaborations, new product launches and going-away parties.
Robinson told WWD he considered closing his stores two years ago—a time when many in the industry were questioning the true price of brick and mortar. Since then, seemingly untouchable stores such as Barneys announced bankruptcy, furthering the retail debate.
