Rising Rent Drives Dupont Clothier Back to Georgetown
The Dupont neighborhood will soon lose another local business.
Riccardi Clothier owner Alex Brown says his store, located at 1300 Connecticut Avenue NW, will move to its original location in Georgetown in just three days. Why? Because the rent is just too high, says Brown.
Brown has sold of Italian suits and fashion consultation from his storefront since it moved there from Georgetown five year ago.
He admits business on Connecticut has been lackluster for a while.
But Brown also says he’s glad his menswear store is moving, primarily because his going-out-of-business sale has helped him sell more suits than he’s sold in months.
And there’s another silver lining: At least the store won’t have to worry about wayward chicken odors from when The Chickery opens next door.
It’s a lot easier to blame rising rents than to face the very real possibility that you made a poor business decision by locating to a neighborhood whose residents are less likely to buy the style of clothes you’re selling.
Any rent would be incompatible with zero customers. This guy tried, and failed, to attract any buyers of his $1,400 suits. C’mon.