A stroll down Main Street in East Hampton reveals a shockingly high number of empty stores, prompting many to wonder if the village can rebound from such a mass exodus. While winter departures are hardly new, the closure of several high profile shops has created a rather depressing vista. Long gone is the Hermès pop-up, while Intermix, Trina Turk, Jill Stuart and Courage B have all headed south (or west) for winter. Fifi La Roo and Palm Produce shut down in October, while moves by Prudential and Mayfair left even more empty storefronts. And the megacorner spot that once housed Cole Haan now has a fresh coat of paint and For Rent signage. Perhaps the most surprising departure is Hampton Cards & Gifts, which seemingly shuttered overnight. (A call to the store went unanswered, any intel can be sent here.)
It gets worse: Brooks Brothers will likely close for the winter and Temperley London promised to only pop-up through the holidays. Newtown Lane has come away relatively unscathed (so far!) with Pucci's pop-up and JewelHampton the only stores to shutter, but La Perla will likely follow suit by the new year. Tour the Main Street carnage and salute the ever-dwindling East Hampton retail scene. May it return to all its glory next year.
· RackedHampton: East Hampton Store Vacancy Getting Worse [CH]