Raw Denim, owned by Emily Lipman of Bravo's "The New Atlanta," has closed its midtown boutique but will continue as a "clicks & mortar" business operating online only. The midtown boutique closed for good a few days ago. The boutique moved late last year from its original home on East Andrews Drive in Buckhead to its most recent home at the 77 12th development in midtown.
On March 8th, the store was burglarized on a busy Saturday afternoon. This theft of over $10,000 in merchandise follows another theft that occurred after hours at the previous location.
Thread House, another high-end boutique, closed its location at Plaza Midtown on West Peachtree Street in 2008 following a rash of burglaries. Its replacement, eModa, closed after less than a year in business, in 2009. Buckhead's Blue Genes boutique was also forced to close in 2009 following multiple thefts from their store at the Shops Around Lenox totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Although I've not heard of any burglaries, Republic of Couture, which opened near Cafe Intermezzo on Peachtree Street in midtown last year, may soon decide to make a similar move online. If recent history teaches us anything, it's that boutique retail is a losing proposition in midtown. DrewLewis, a popular men's boutique, relocated from their original location at the Mid-City lofts to a larger, more expensive space at the Shops at Metropolis, but closed in 2012.