Another fashion store is leaving Burnaby’s biggest mall.
Little Mountain, a fashion store that makes clothing for women, has closed up shop in Metropolis at Metrotown.
The company also operates stores in Gastown and Langley, selling everything from jeans to skirts to dresses, with most prices under $100. The company also focused on selling clothing that was designed and made in Canada.
This news follows the announcement that men's fashion chain Boys' Co. plans to cease operations early in 2022, owner David Goldman told Glacier Media’s Business in Vancouver on June 3.
His three-store, 37-year-old retailer operates stores in Metro Vancouver, at Coquitlam Centre and at Guildford Town Centre, in Surrey – as well as Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby.
The closure is another blow to Metropolis at Metrotown, which has seen a long list of retailers close forever during the COVID-19 pandemic due its impacts on businesses.
Businesses that have closed in the past year at Metropolis include Godiva chocolates, Rocky Mountain Soap Company, David’s Tea, Microsoft, Pink, Freddy Pants and Frank & Oak.
Le Chateau also closed up its Metrotown store after several decades in Burnaby.
Apart from store closures, Chef Tony cancelled its plans to build a large restaurant at Metropolis at Metrotown. Instead, it is just sticking with its restaurant in the food court.
There have been, however, some openings at Metropolis.
One of the biggest was Hugo Boss opening its first brick-and-mortar store in Burnaby.
Fashion retailer Forever 21 also decided to return to Metropolis with a new store after closing in Metropolis at Metrotown in 2019 amid a company-wide bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, struggling Burnaby businesses now have another avenue to seek support as they recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
The Burnaby Board of Trade has announced its "Local Business Support Grant" to provide up to $5,000 to assist with recovery and preparing for the post-pandemic business landscape.
The Burnaby Board of Trade will directly fund and administer the grants. They will be offered through the Centre for Burnaby Business Recovery and Resilience, which is the hub for all Burnaby Board of Trade programming involving COVID-19.
Grants will be available across the following four category areas:
- Essential Equipment or Physical Improvements
- Grants of up to $5,000 to help fund the purchase of equipment for use by the business, for new business software or digital activities, or for physical improvements to the business/workplace to facilitate growth and operations
- Professional Development Courses and Training
- Grants of up to $1,500 to help fund professional development training, certification or training for business owners or employees
- Business Education
- Grants of up to $3,000 to help fund enrolment in formal business education courses or curricula at local post-secondary institutions
- Essential Community Programming
- Grants of up to $3,000 to help fund the delivery of essential community programming by applicant non-profit organizations only
- With additional reporting by Glen Korstrom, Business in Vancouver, and Jess Balzer
