As the student high-rise building boom thunders on, four businesses were displaced in recent weeks from the northeast corner of South University and Church St. Only one of them is reopening elsewhere.
Liquidation sales are well underway at Forever 21’s large storefront next to JCPenney in Briarwood Mall. The long-troubled fast-fashion chain is winding down operations both locally and at its approximately 357 stores nationwide.
Read More“It’s something other than video games, and it brings people together.”
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An offbeat brand of stuffed toys has grown from an online shop run out of a one-bedroom apartment to more than forty stores, including one on Briarwood Mall’s center court.
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Inspire Marketplace “was never set up for profit,” according to owner Nikko Davidson. “The business model is set up for shared expenses. I take all the risk for it.” A hearty laugh follows, perhaps concealing some nervousness.
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The Kansas-based team merchandise retailer has since opened two more locations in town, adding stores on the west and south sides to complement its downtown and Arborland locations.
Read MoreA new Briarwood bookstore is geared toward those who have such titles as Solo Leveling, Chainsaw Man, Oshi no Ko, and One Piece on their reading or holiday shopping lists.
Read More“We’ve really been expanding so much lately that it was something that we’ve always had a hope for: to get a bigger presence in Ann Arbor,” says Colin Novick, media and production manager for Rally House.
Read MoreLongtime real estate agent Laurie Buys, a former flight attendant originally from Seattle, was a big fan of the Eve and Annie Boutique, which recently closed its storefront to focus online. She plans to open Downtown Chic Boutique there in November. “I kind of pounced on the idea of, ‘I can do this,’” she says.
Read MoreMegan Trenary, who opened Chelsea Outfitters last year with her husband, Matt, has quadrupled the general store’s space with their move across the street to the historic Kempf Bank building on the corner of Main and Middle. Chelsea Outfitters’ move created an opening for Richelle Reese to realize her longtime dream of launching her own shop, Reese Chic Boutique.
Read MoreWhitetail, Mary Baude’s design, home, and lifestyle shop on S. Main, closed in April. She’d launched her business in Dexter in 2016, and moved it to Chelsea in 2022; in March 2024, she announced her retirement on Instagram. Chelsea Home, interior designer Kitty Golding’s boutique, is set to open by November 8 in Whitetail’s former space.
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University Flower Shop has expanded from Nickels Arcade to the west side with a second, much larger production and sales site. The 4,000-square-foot facility on S. Wagner Rd. provides ample space for creating custom floral arrangements and planning events, as well as free, on-site parking for drop-in or pickup customers.
Read MorePROCAM Photo & Video Gear has soft-opened its fourth retail store, offering a range of imaging products and services for hobbyists, students, and professionals alike.
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Nu2U Again, the Saline thrift store with a mission to employ and serve people with disabilities, is adding an Ann Arbor location at Carpenter and Packard.
Read MoreThree years after taking over the Courtyard Shops storefront and much of the inventory of Bookbound Bookstore, the couple cited family considerations in choosing to pass the torch—not necessarily to the highest bidder, but as “a values-based decision of what we think will be sustainable,” Render says. Rather than “just rich people making stuff for rich people, we wanted to make sure first-time business owners could do this.”
Read MoreThe international company established in Italy has about forty-two stores and 3.1 million Instagram followers in the U.S.
Read MoreThe co-owners see their new location as a better fit for experiential shopping—and their new shop is more than twice as large.
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Diggers carries more than 120,000 items and restocks thousands more daily. All are offered at a flat price, which started at $1.25 but after a month settled at $1.50.
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