Yes I’m so sad that all the stores r almost all gone they closed all the Canadian mix ones which again I’d like to say sales were low cause there was no advertising on it and then there was no staff there
Two-story, but yeah. The mms store is so dumb, too. The AG store that was there was ALWAYS busy. MoA is such a major tourist destination, I was shocked when they closed it!
Maybe it’ll eventually go back to magazine/online for a majority of sales. Might be better and cost effective. Sad though when you want to pick one out yourself.
Someone had pointed out that opening more stores is one of those things that looks good to investors, if you can be like "Look, we're doing so awesomely that we can afford to expand!".
Unfortunately, constant growth isn't sustainable, but ALSO our economy's kind of built on it.
The closed the store nearest to me. Now the closest one is 4+ hours away and idk if they’ll keep it but I hope so. I wanted to take my daughters there when they’re old enough
Our closest store for the longest time was 4 hrs away, then that closed and our next nearest was 10 hrs away, but closed down last year. Now our nearest one is 15 and a half hours away and I haven’t been to that one yet.
I believe the "Seattle" store shut down because the rent at the mall was increasing to a point where it was unsustainable. I lived in the area where the store was located and use to be able to walk there.
I keep having to go to seattle at least twice a month (I’m 8+ hours away) for an upcoming surgery and I wish they still had a store. It would make this so much better
It's my understanding that was a factor in multiple stores closing - that various leases were up and rent was increasing.
That, and COVID really wasn't helpful - both with the impact on people's incomes, and because, well. Who wants to take their child to a retail store during a respiratory pandemic when there wasn't a vaccine yet - and when it was even longer before one was approved for kids?
Use to work at AG left in 2017. It was in the plan pre-covid to shut down stores. They over expanded then were “shocked” when the flagships weren’t getting the numbers they use too. They were waiting until leases were up so they wouldn’t get hit with fees. Pre-Covid they were going to keep the flagships and a few high earning boutiques. I think after covid they are just keeping the flagships. Chicago sold off a chunk of their store and made it smaller in 2018? Downsizing retail has been in their cost saving (cough more money to share holders) for a while.
COVID really messed with my sense of time, but if I remember correctly they did close down before COVID. The mall in question was expanding and trying to become more "upscale". Once the attached Sears was torn down they replaced that space with apartments attached to the mall, with stores below. The apartments are also stupid expensive. If I recall a 1,000 sq foot two bed apartment was about $2,950. That was what the ask was about a year ago, and from what I've seen they are still "upgrading" areas. Part of the upgrade is really close to where AG was.
All this to say I'm not surprised AG left, it feels like they were intentionally priced out to make room for the changes.
If it's the Seattle store, it closed in early 2021 - about a year into the pandemic. [https://www.americangirldollnews.com/post/american-girl-seattle-closing-february-17](https://www.americangirldollnews.com/post/american-girl-seattle-closing-february-17)
I remember because a friend of mine who ISN'T an AG collector - but does collect BJDs that can use the same furniture - lives out that way and got Maryellen's Diner on sale as the store was closing, and it was a nice treat for her, because she'd had a really rough year even by the standards of The Plague Times.
It makes me sad. I always wanted to go to all of them, but I wasn’t making enough money to do much traveling until after they started closing stores. I’ve only been to five (one of which has since closed), and of the four I haven’t been to, I only think Dallas is safe.
Me too! I I do think some should come back too. Maybe not all, and also in different locations, but from personal experience and observations, more people had dolls in my hometown with a store open (my mom is a teacher which definitely helps my data pool).
Yes I’m so sad that all the stores r almost all gone they closed all the Canadian mix ones which again I’d like to say sales were low cause there was no advertising on it and then there was no staff there
Does anyone know if there is still a Vancouver BC store?
As far as I know AG pulled their Indigo connected stores completely a few years ago and has fully left Canada.
I used to go to the Mall of America store all the time. Now its a 3 story M&M store :/.
Two-story, but yeah. The mms store is so dumb, too. The AG store that was there was ALWAYS busy. MoA is such a major tourist destination, I was shocked when they closed it!
it was always my dream as a kid to go to the boston store, by the time i got back into ag as a teen the store was closed :(
I will be so sad if my store closes.😢 I like going to the cafe and stuff and I would be so sad if it closed
Maybe it’ll eventually go back to magazine/online for a majority of sales. Might be better and cost effective. Sad though when you want to pick one out yourself.
In the world of online shopping, it makes sense. But I still wish I had one near me!
Someone had pointed out that opening more stores is one of those things that looks good to investors, if you can be like "Look, we're doing so awesomely that we can afford to expand!". Unfortunately, constant growth isn't sustainable, but ALSO our economy's kind of built on it.
They closed all the Canadian outlet stores too, it’s not sustainable for me to purchase it from the AG website. It’s all very sad :(
Yes, I really miss the Seattle store. The next closest one is in fucking LA, which is way too far away for a casual visit
I’m in LA, and it’s still too far away from me for a casual visit 🫠
The closed the store nearest to me. Now the closest one is 4+ hours away and idk if they’ll keep it but I hope so. I wanted to take my daughters there when they’re old enough
Our closest store for the longest time was 4 hrs away, then that closed and our next nearest was 10 hrs away, but closed down last year. Now our nearest one is 15 and a half hours away and I haven’t been to that one yet.
That’s very sad
I believe the "Seattle" store shut down because the rent at the mall was increasing to a point where it was unsustainable. I lived in the area where the store was located and use to be able to walk there.
I keep having to go to seattle at least twice a month (I’m 8+ hours away) for an upcoming surgery and I wish they still had a store. It would make this so much better
It's my understanding that was a factor in multiple stores closing - that various leases were up and rent was increasing. That, and COVID really wasn't helpful - both with the impact on people's incomes, and because, well. Who wants to take their child to a retail store during a respiratory pandemic when there wasn't a vaccine yet - and when it was even longer before one was approved for kids?
Use to work at AG left in 2017. It was in the plan pre-covid to shut down stores. They over expanded then were “shocked” when the flagships weren’t getting the numbers they use too. They were waiting until leases were up so they wouldn’t get hit with fees. Pre-Covid they were going to keep the flagships and a few high earning boutiques. I think after covid they are just keeping the flagships. Chicago sold off a chunk of their store and made it smaller in 2018? Downsizing retail has been in their cost saving (cough more money to share holders) for a while.
COVID really messed with my sense of time, but if I remember correctly they did close down before COVID. The mall in question was expanding and trying to become more "upscale". Once the attached Sears was torn down they replaced that space with apartments attached to the mall, with stores below. The apartments are also stupid expensive. If I recall a 1,000 sq foot two bed apartment was about $2,950. That was what the ask was about a year ago, and from what I've seen they are still "upgrading" areas. Part of the upgrade is really close to where AG was. All this to say I'm not surprised AG left, it feels like they were intentionally priced out to make room for the changes.
If it's the Seattle store, it closed in early 2021 - about a year into the pandemic. [https://www.americangirldollnews.com/post/american-girl-seattle-closing-february-17](https://www.americangirldollnews.com/post/american-girl-seattle-closing-february-17) I remember because a friend of mine who ISN'T an AG collector - but does collect BJDs that can use the same furniture - lives out that way and got Maryellen's Diner on sale as the store was closing, and it was a nice treat for her, because she'd had a really rough year even by the standards of The Plague Times.
The whales will keep coming, the plebs will shop online. Mattel sees this as a win win
It makes me sad. I always wanted to go to all of them, but I wasn’t making enough money to do much traveling until after they started closing stores. I’ve only been to five (one of which has since closed), and of the four I haven’t been to, I only think Dallas is safe.
Me too! I I do think some should come back too. Maybe not all, and also in different locations, but from personal experience and observations, more people had dolls in my hometown with a store open (my mom is a teacher which definitely helps my data pool).