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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Eagle Rock Welcomes New Kids Store, while Atwater Village Loses a Boutique


(Photo by Luis Lopez)

Given the state of the economy, we've been trying harder lately to support the local businesses close to us, including the boutiques in Atwater Village and Eagle Rock. Even in the best of times, small, specialized stores will sometimes struggle -- so during recession times, I'm not sure how any of them stay in business. Hence our desire to help.

I've hit Atwater Village's Amelia Fitzwater many times for birthday and holiday presents... and was sad to learn that the store is closing its doors next month. Writes owner Imara:

The decision was not an easy one to make, however, with the slow economy, loss of a partnership, low sales and now with the much anticipated arrival of my first child, it seems like the time for a change is now!

The doors will closing Sunday, July 26th. We will be having our Final Sale July 7th-26th. This will be a store wide sale. EVERYTHING in the shop - from all merchandise to fixtures, tables and bookshelves, everything is for sale! 25%-50% off. Bring cash and you never know what extra deals can be made!




In happier retail news, we're happy to welcome the new Kumquat Outlet to Eagle Rock's string of toddler/kid-friendly stores at the corner of Colorado and Eagle Rock Blvds.

As we wrote three years ago, that short stretch of Eagle Rock is possibly the most toddler-friendly location in town. After all, there's Swork Coffee (with its kids play area) at the corner, as well as kids stores Twerps and Rockin' Kids (which also has a small play area) close by. Indoor kids playground Peekaboo Playland is also down the street, having just relocated into a larger space on Colorado.

It was that proximity to those like-minded stores that led the designer behind the baby/toddler clothing designer Kumquat Baby to open a store in the 'hood as well.

Kumquat is selling a ton of back stock at relatively cheap prices -- we managed to get a pair of baby pants for $6.

The owner's brother writes on his blog:

The inside is bright and airy... Among the products for sale at a reduced price include many of Wendy's classic patterns such as the elephants and pandas. As for the fixtures, most are stock Ikea, but arranged in a really clean, smart manner. It was really important for the space to be both kid and parent friendly, with space for strollers as well as a bunch of toys and books and mini-sized furniture in the front area.


Kumquat Outlet is located at 5054 Eagle Rock Blvd. Call for hours: 323-254-5074. (Kumquat Outlet pics by Martin Wong.)

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