Retailers Are Dying To Be Colette, So Why Is The Store Closing?

2017 has been a record year for store closures. So when Colette, the cult French concept store and retail icon, announced it would be closing its doors for good after 20 successful years, many found themselves asking: Was the holy grail for labels both old and new yet another victim of today’s retailpocalypse? The closing of one of the world’s most beloved stores — and a profitable one, at that — can leave people scrambling to understand ‘what went wrong’. But the reason Colette decided to call it quits is the exact reason other brick and mortar stores are losing their edge — it’s not ‘what went wrong’ that forced the shop to close, but ‘what could go wrong’ if put in the wrong hands. In a continuously changing retail landscape, Colette was able to maintain its relevance, a direct result of founder Colette Roussaux and her daughter Sarah Andelman’s hands-on approach. The statement detailing the decision to cease business read: “As all good things must come to an end, after 20 wonderful years, Colette should be closing its doors on December 20th of this year. Colette Roussaux has reached the time when she would like to take her time; and Colette cannot exist without Colette.” Read more at Refinery 29.