Aveda will close its longstanding store at Lenox Square in Buckhead as of September 24. The 776 square foot store on the mall's main level close to Bloomingdale's, informed customers of the closure late Monday and directed them to the company's other store at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.
No reason was provided for the sudden closure.
The brand, one of more than a dozen cosmetics lines owned by Estée Lauder Companies, has been a fixture in Lenox Square for many years.
There is reportedly no immediate plan for the space, but the mall is also without its longtime leasing guru. Michelle Smart, who for more than ten years was Vice President of leasing at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, resigned in late August and joined several other Simon defectors at Tanger, a company known for outlets but with a growing interest in lifestyle centers.
Tanger is led by Stephen J. Yalof, who joined the company in January 2021 after nearly six years at Simon Property Group, where he was CEO of the company's Premium Outlets division.
With the company still seeking a Smart replacement (pun intended), leasing for Lenox Square (and Phipps Plaza) is currently being handled out of Simon's headquarters in Indianapolis.
Aveda is the latest in a growing list of retailers that have vacated positions in Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza in favor of other space either in Buckhead or in other parts of Atlanta.
In January, Brahmin, a retailer specializing in handbags and wallets in Lenox Square since 2010, closed in Lenox Square and opened a new store at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.
Madewell and Johnny Was relocated from Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, respectively, to The Shops Around Lenox. Tommy Bahama, which had already downsized its presence at Phipps Plaza, closed its store altogether, opting instead to focus on its store at Avalon in Alpharetta.
Invicta, a watch retailer, closed its store in Lenox Square but remains open at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody. Similarly, Vineyard Vines closed their store in Lenox's prized "main mall" corridor but remains open at Avalon. Denim retailer True Religion which previously closed its store at Lenox Square, opened a new store at Cumberland Mall this past fall.
Perhaps most surprisingly, longtime Lenox tenants Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn in recent years both closed their stores in the mall, directing would-be patrons to their outposts in Ponce City Market.