Assault at grocery store in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of an assault at a grocery store early Saturday afternoon, August 23, 2025. The assault was reported at a supermarket in the 800 block of Rockville Pike at 12:10 PM. There is a Food Lion on that block. An individual was accused of theft in the same incident.

Marlo Furniture confirms it is closing in Rockville

I reported back in July that Marlo Furniture's showroom space at 725 Rockville Pike was being marketed for lease. Images in the marketing materials at that time showed Marlo's logos removed from the building. Now the furniture retailer has made it official: The Rockville store is closing. In fact, after 70 years in business, Marlo is closing all of its stores.

The chain hasn't continually been run by the same people over those 7 decades, however. Marlo was acquired by Regency Furniture in 2012. Regency continued to operate some of the stronger Marlo locations under the Marlo name through this year. A liquidation sale - which Marlo is referring to as its "final Labor Day sale ever - is now underway.

Lululemon move postponed at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Lululemon is staying put in its current spot at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda for a little bit longer. The activewear company did not specify why its planned move is being delayed, but said it hopes to have a firm grand opening date by the end of August. In the meantime, their existing store remains  fully open for business. The new space, still walled off, is much larger than the current Lululemon store.

Ace Hardware "coming soon" to Rockville

Ace Hardware has posted "coming soon" signage at its future Rockville location at 835 Rockville Pike, at Wintergreen Plaza. Construction is well underway inside the space, which was formerly occupied by Gold's Gym. The store will only use the first floor level of the old gym, though. When it opens, this will be the first Ace Hardware store in Rockville. An excellent addition to Wintergreen Plaza that should boost traffic to the other businesses there, and a much-needed amenity for the City of Rockville.

Suspect arrested in rape at gas station in Rockville

Montgomery County police have arrested a suspect in the August 14, 2025 sexual assault that allegedly took place at a gas station in Rockville. Carlos St. James Hover, 34, of Washington, D.C. entered the gas station early that evening, police say, and allegedly assaulted and raped the victim inside. Hover was captured by police after officers responding to a bank robbery call the next morning in Wheaton recognized the suspect in that armed robbery because he was wearing some of the same distinctive pieces of clothing the previous night's rape victim had described to detectives.

Hover was transported to the County's Central Processing Unit where he was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree assault, armed robbery, resisting arrest, and other related crimes. He is being held without bond.

Photo courtesy Montgomery County Police Department

Assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall Thursday afternoon, August 14, 2025. The assault was reported at the mall at 4:12 PM Thursday. This is the seventh assault police have responded to at the property this year. It had been a relatively quiet summer at the mall up until August 6, when the last assault took place during a shoplifting incident at a clothing store. There were 11 assaults reported at the popular retail center in 2024, 5 in 2023, and 12 in 2022, putting this year's numbers in line with last year's so far.

Claire's closing at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

It's a sad day in the piercing industry. Claire's is closing at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. A closing sale is underway at the piercing and jewelry boutique. We can't blame the Montgomery County Council or their moribund County economy for this departure. Claire's has filed for bankruptcy, could wind up closing over 1000 locations nationwide. The company hopes to save itself via a sale of 800 other stores to a potential buyer, but if one can't be found, this could be the end of the line. Are they celebrating over at Piercing Pagoda?

Assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall late Wednesday afternoon, August 6, 2025. The assault was reported at a clothing store in the mall at 4:58 PM. Police have not yet identified the name of the store. The assault occurred amid a shoplifting incident at the business.

This is the sixth assault reported at the property so far this year. It had been a relatively quiet summer up to this point at the mall, however. There were 11 assaults reported at the popular retail center in 2024, 5 in 2023, and 12 in 2022.

Fashion Q closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Fashion Q has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Their space has been totally cleared out inside. The Los Angeles-based fashion wholesaler lasted less than a year at the mall after its November 2024 opening, despite its trademark super low prices. Fashion Q is the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy.

Tumi relocates at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Tumi has moved inside of Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Its previous location on Level 2 of the mall, between GAP and Coach, is now closed and walled off. Signage posted across that storefront is directing customers to the new location. Their new spot is also on Level 2, next to Perfume World in the Macy's Home wing of the mall. The change is so new, it does not yet appear on the mall's website map.

Sheepskin Gifts and Alpaca Too returning to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda for 2025

Sheepskin Gifts and Alpaca Too is returning to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda for its annual extended seasonal run. Few people are thinking about warm clothing as thermometers float between 90 and 100 degrees, but alpaca wool is known for its ability to wick moisture away from the skin during the summer season. The store's prime time is still the holiday shopping season, and the frostier months of the year - and believe it or not, we're less than four months from the start of the Christmas season at 12:00 AM on November 1. Look for Sheepskin Gifts and Alpaca Too on Level 1 of the mall, in the former Tesla space.

Hobby Lobby to open first Montgomery County store in Gaithersburg

Hobby Lobby is planning to open its first store in Montgomery County. It will be at 15750 Shady Grove Road in the 270 Center, on the border of Gaithersburg and Rockville. That is the former Best Buy space. Hobby Lobby will take advantage of the big box building dimensions, and the immediate access to I-270 just west of the shopping center.

Hobby Lobby was founded by David Green in 1972, initially operating out of a garage with a $600 loan to create miniature picture frames. The success of these frames, which could be sold to larger retailers, allowed Green to open the first Hobby Lobby store in Oklahoma City in 1972. The company's growth was fueled by its focus on providing a wide array of craft and hobby supplies at competitive prices, coupled with a strong emphasis on customer service. Similar to Chick-fil-A, Hobby Lobby followed a practice of closing its stores on Sundays. Their strategy resonated with a broad customer base, enabling steady expansion across the United States.

The Hobby Lobby concept centers on offering a vast selection of arts, crafts, and home decor items under one roof, catering to a diverse range of creative interests and decorating styles. Their merchandise typically includes framing supplies, floral and wedding décor, fabric, jewelry making components, scrapbooking materials, and various craft supplies for painting, drawing, and needlework. Beyond crafts, Hobby Lobby also stocks a significant amount of seasonal decorations, party supplies, and general home furnishings, all curated to appeal to a family-friendly demographic interested in DIY projects and affordable home embellishments.

IT'SUGAR closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

IT'SUGAR has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The candy store's windows have been covered, and signage has been removed from above the entrance. Montgomery County's moribund economy and the County Council's anti-business policies, have turned the shop's sweet profit margin sour. Heckuva job, Brownie! IT'SUGAR's Rockville location closed several years ago.

In contrast to the closures here, IT'SUGAR is currently in a major expansion mode elsewhere, opening "15 to 20 stores a year," according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce article touting the chain's success. Openings so far in 2025 include Poughkeepsie and Middletown in New York; Salem, New Hampshire; Mercedes, Texas; and Braintree, Massachusetts. Something for the County Council to ponder: what are we doing wrong, that Braintree is doing right?

MWBC Shop Local to host opening party 4-8 PM today at The Square in Rockville

MWBC Shop Local at 36-D Maryland Avenue at The Square in Rockville will host an Opening Party today, August 1, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. There will be a "sip and shop experience," face painting, and giveaways every hour. Attendees will also have a chance to meet the six local artisans whose products are sold at the store. A retail storefront initiative of the Maryland Women's Business Center designed to provide an incubator opportunity for local artisans and small-scale manufacturers, MWBC Shop Local provides program participants with mentoring, practical experience, and access to capital. Once open, the store's operating hours will be 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays.

Urban Outfitters relocating at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

This may be the biggest tenant game of musical chairs yet at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Amid all of the reshuffling of spots at the popular retail center, Urban Outfitters is now preparing for a move. The "lifestyle retailer" is currently located on Level 1 in the Nordstrom wing. Signage posted at their future location indicates Urban Outfitters will stay on Level 1, but move around the corner to the vacant space between Calzedonia and KICKZ.

Warby Parker coming soon to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Warby Parker is opening a new location at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The eyewear boutique will open this fall. It will be located next to L'Occitane en Provence on Level 1 in the Nordstrom wing of the mall. Warby Parker has an existing Bethesda location at 4821 Bethesda Avenue at Bethesda Row.

Miniso closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Miniso has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It turns out that even popular concepts from rapidly-growing companies are not immune to the moribund Montgomery County economy. Miniso's revenue grew 9.1% in mainland China, and 30.3% overseas during the first quarter of this year, the Chinese company announced in May. Employees are boxing up the contents of the store. The anti-business Montgomery County Council never met a slim profit margin it couldn't shrink even further. Heckuva job, Brownie!

GAP closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

GAP has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Strange things have been afoot at the store in recent weeks, namely the store frequently - if not nightly - closing early, and posting a sign stating that it was due to the air-conditioning being out. The floor inventory had also been dwindling. Now the reason for all this is clear, as the clothing chain announced in an email to customers yesterday that "Gap Montgomery Mall has closed." Customers are being directed to the GAP at 11820 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose in Rockville. The Montgomery Mall GAP is the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy, as its parent company's downsizing plan of closing 350 GAP and Banana Republic stores shuttered those locations between 2023 and early 2024, and the Montgomery Mall store was spared the axe in that culling.

Hollister claims its space at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

We knew Hollister was returning to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, and now we know where. It is moving into the space just vacated by Foot Locker on Level 1, next to American Eagle, in the Old Navy/Cheesecake Factory wing of the mall. "Coming soon" signage has been installed across the storefront, and it confirms the fall opening date of my original breaking news report. Hollister is a tremendous addition, as it is one of those tenants every self-respecting mall needs, much like Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Panda Express, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, and Hollister's sister brand, Abercrombie & Fitch - to name a few.

Is Marlo Furniture on the way out in Rockville? (Photos)

Marlo Furniture has been a landmark presence on Rockville Pike since 1995. A new real estate listing suggests that, 30 years later, that could be changing. Several spaces in Marlo's custom-built warehouse showroom at 725 Rockville Pike are being offered for lease, including an 89,100-square-foot space that will become available on "January 01, 2026." Marketing materials prepared by Transwestern show renderings of "Your Sign Here" where the current, large "Marlo" signs are attached to the front and side facades of the building. The listing brochure states that prospective tenants will be joining Goodwill and Movement Rockville, with no mention of Marlo.

Images courtesy Transwestern