January 27, 2025 - American Public News

ITHACA, N.Y. — Urban Outfitters, the sole national retailer to operate a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Ithaca, closed its store on Green Street on Jan. 19 after 15 years. Nan Rohrer, CEO of Downtown Ithaca Alliance, said that, in this instance, “Ithaca isn’t unique.” Rohrer said the company has been closing more downtown locations in smaller markets, including relocating the Armory Square store in Syracuse to the nearby Destiny USA mall. Unlike local retailers, Rohrer said national retailers have the financial resources to quickly close stores and relocate when the market conditions warrant. “We’re still in recovery mode after the [COVID-19] pandemic,” Rohrer said, referring to the retail community at-large. “People’s behaviors changed exponentially, both during and after the pandemic, and that cycle continues to ride itself.” During an August 2024 quarterly earnings call, Urban Outfitters CEO Richard Hayne told shareholders that “timid spending” trends were due to “COVID-19 behavior” that negatively impacted sales, particularly in-store. Aside from this shift, Rohrer said the extensive construction on Green Street likely influenced the company’s decision to close the store. “Construction is difficult for a retailer,” Rohrer said. “No matter where they are, no matter who they are, construction is always very challenging.” Workers broke ground in 2021 to construct the two-pronged Asteri Ithaca project, a $96 million mixed-use highrise development spearheaded by developers at the Vecino Group. Construction concluded last year and was extensive. The project included renovations to the Green Street Parking Garage, directly across from the store, as well as the construction of a high-rise next door to house the new 49,000 square-foot Downtown Ithaca Conference Center on its lower levels and affordable housing on the upper floors. Urban Outfitters did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication. While Rohrer never likes to see a retail location close in Ithaca, she emphasized that the overall health of the city’s retail market remains strong. A handful of national retailers have opened stores in Ithaca in recent years, including REI, which opened in 2024, and Trader Joes in 2021. These stores aren’t located downtown, but do contribute to the overall economic health of the city. “That’s a huge win for us being as small as we are,” Rohrer said. The post Urban Outfitters closes downtown location after 15 years appeared first on The Ithaca Voice.First published by The Ithaca Voice.

Daily Archives: January 27, 2025

Urban Outfitters closes downtown location after 15 years

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