Kaleidoscope Boutique Closing
Decatur Metro | January 19, 2010Another well-known Decatur merchant is closing it’s doors.
Assistant Store Manger Kim McNeil at Kaleidoscope Boutique confirms reports that the 9 year-old clothing store along West Ponce will soon be closing its doors forever.
Kim notes that the closing is “indeed recession-related”. As for store owner Camille Wright, Kim says plans include doing “some personal shopping for her close friends and valued customers, will happily get to focus more on new baby Connor, and anticipates some other fashion related ventures in the future.”
Our best to Camille and her staff in all their future endeavors. This one is gonna be especially tough for many to swallow.
Below the break, read a message recently posted on the store’s Facebook page with details about the clothing sale and where you can catch up with the Kaleidoscope ladies prior to closing.
“So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, good night…. After almost 9 wonderful years of booty slaps, tummy adjusts, ball room measures, and lots of fun, Kaleidoscope Boutique is closing our doors. We’ve been there through job interviews, first dates, engagements, weddings, birthdays, babies, all kinds of parties, and even the occasional funeral.
We appreciate all the love that Decatur has shown us over the years, and we’d like to turn our decision to close the store into an opportunity for all of our faithful friends to look fabulous for even less than before!!!
Everything is at least 50% off. We have some great designer stuff: Milly, Joe’s jeans, Fidelity, Rock and Republic, Modern Amusement, Tulle, Veronica M, Kitty, Double Zero, etc. We also carry accessories: jewelry, purses, wallets, undies, etc. And we carry Men’s clothing: Jeans, button-ups, coats, sweaters, Ts.
So help clear us out! We are actually still getting some stuff in from vendors so not everything is picked over yet and it’s even in season, pre-spring stuff and everything!
We will also be at the Atlanta Warehouse sales this weekend (1/22-23) at Atlantic Station’s Z Gallerie and next weekend (1/29-30) at the Decatur Square Holiday Inn. During these times our store in Decatur will be closed.
Latest from Decaturish
so sorry camille,i feel your pain. best wishes. jeff
Very bad news. This store was an asset to Decatur.
I am so sad to hear this. While I have not been able to shop at Kaleidoscope as much as I would like to in recent times, every shopping experience I’ve had there was a total pleasure. Camille and the rest of the staff made customers feel like friends. I wish them all the best: they will be missed.
Such sad news. I had finally gotten Hubs trained to go to Kaleidoscope to get me gifts….now I need to find a new store that can keep up with my “wish list”. Camille and the girls were also fabulous at fitting me for jeans. You all will be missed!
Wow the business carnage is really piling up on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Decatur.
With another city election in less than 19 months, our empty retail space is definately going to be an election year issue if things do not improve.
How could empty retail (privately owned) space be a campaign issue?
Clearly our Decatur officials are not doing enough to fix the ailing national economy. Boot ‘em!
They take credit for it when things go right (privately owned or not) and they’ll be blamed for it when things go wrong.
Not saying it is right, but that’s the way things work.
First, the businesses all pay a fair amount of ad valorem taxes. In addition, they generate sales taxes. The restaurants pay a liquor sales tax on top of this (I think). I don’t know how much of the city’s tax base is borne by the businesses, but I am fairly certain it is not insignificant. Of course, the ‘privately owned’ building owners pay a property tax. If the worst happened and that property went into foreclosure..well.. thats probably far fetched. Many of the business owners are Decatur residents. These are just the tangibles. The intangibles are incalculable. With all that being said, the city does an outstanding job in promoting the businesses and, if anything, things would probably be much worse without their leadership.
The majority of commerical real-estate in Decatur is owned by 2 landlords. One of them is a resident of Decatur and is concerned about what goes on in Decatur. The other one (ours) isn’t. The leaders in Decatur have been trying to put pressure on the landlords to be more accomodating with the tenants. The average decatur resident has nooo idea the ridiculous amount of money we (retailers) have to pay in rent. It just makes it REALLY hard to stay in business. It’s really heartbreaking to see your dream dissolve. When conditions get a bit better we’ll be back!!!!! We LOVE Decatur!
Camille, would finding cheaper space be a way to save the business?Just wondering.
ABSOLUTELY!!
Okay, everybody, find Camille a new location with a landlord who will offer subsidized rent for two years!!