Rockville Town Square CVS to close

The hits just keep on coming at Rockville Town Square. Another major tenant is on the way out. CVS Pharmacy "will be going out of business April 27th 2022," a sign in the elevator reads. The sign is directing customers to the Ritchie Center CVS at 799 Rockville Pike, once the Town Center location has closed. I suspect residents of the Town Center may consider switching to the Walgreens less than a block away.

CVS has been showing an increasing will to close locations in recent years, aiming to trim 900 stores, even as it vies with Starbucks for ubiquity across America. It's certainly possible that property owner Federal Realty could bring in another drugstore tenant to this space, although having that Walgreens really whittles down the options. The real estate firm has been trying to increasingly add resident-focused amenities and services like markets, spas, and home decor retailers to its properties, shops that can provide more practical necessities without requiring a car to go outside the development.

Color Me Mine to close at Rockville Town Square

You hate to see another vacant storefront on Maryland Avenue, but Color Me Mine is closing permanently at 33-F Maryland Avenue at Rockville Town Square. It looked like work had begun on breaking down the interior of the space yesterday. The ceramic art studio says that you have until Sunday, March 6, 2022 to pickup any outstanding orders from the store. Pickup hours will be 12:00-6:00 PM daily through Sunday. 

Slice of Rockville closing tonight - last chance!!

Slice of Rockville at 1111 Nelson Street in the Woodley Gardens shopping center, will close permanently at the close of business (9:00 PM) tonight, June 25, 2021, according to the pizzeria's Facebook page. The pizza parlor has had a good 11-year run in challenging times, but is sure to be missed by the neighborhood and the nearby Rockville Senior Center. A new restaurant tenant will take over the space in the near future, but today is your last chance to stop by for a Slice of Rockville! 🍕

Rockville GameStop closing at Fallsgrove was home store for Bethesda Softworks

The GameStop store closing soon at the Fallsgrove Village Center in Rockville has a special significance for the area. It's far from the only GameStop location to close in Montgomery County, or even Rockville. But it has a historic place for fans of Fallout, Skyrim and other classics - and for the creators of those games themselves. That's because the Fallsgrove store was the home GameStop for Bethesda Softworks, (a.k.a. Bethesda Game Studios) whose headquarters has for many years also been in Rockville, only a short distance away.

Among the Bethesda gaming memories at this spot: In 2011, Bethesda employees appeared in the store for the midnight launch of Skyrim. Employees of Bethesda handed out donuts and Dovahkiin face masks that night at the store. Four years later, Bethesda staff again appeared to sign copies of Fallout 4 at this GameStop. I'm still a bit steamed that there wasn't any Nuka Cola left at Target on launch day! 

Which GameStop will be the new home store when Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI are released? Stay tuned!

IT'SUGAR closing at Rockville Town Square

IT'SUGAR, the candy store at 130 E. Gibbs Street at Rockville Town Square is closing, the company confirmed this morning. A closing sale is now underway, although a closing date has not yet been announced. The IT'SUGAR company filed for bankruptcy in September.

Rockville GameStop closing

Devastating news for gamers and those trying to pass the extended time at home in Rockville with the diversion of video games: GameStop is closing its store at the Fallsgrove Village Center at 14929 Shady Grove Road. 

A closing sale is now underway. As you can see, many of the shelves are starting to look sparse as popular titles are snapped up.

Rockville's ABC's & 1-2-3's teacher supply store closing

A rare teacher educational-supply store in Rockville is sporting a sign that has become ubiquitous in store windows countywide in recent years: Going Out of Business. ABC's & 1-2-3's at 825 Rockville Pike in Wintergreen Plaza is now holding a closing sale. A sign in the window advertises a 50%-off sale.

Pizza CS closing in June, Rockville restaurant's contents being auctioned off

Pizza CS at 1596-B Rockville Pike is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the pizzeria will permanently close in mid-June. The contents of the restaurant will be auctioned off on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, according to the auction website. Need a good wood-burning pizza oven? This is your chance.

Pier 1 stores in Rockville, Gaithersburg to close

Montgomery County's moribund economy is hitting the home furnishings sector. Pier 1 Imports is closing in Rockville and Gaithersburg; both stores have disappeared from the Pier 1 website Store Locator. No official announcement or closing date for either store has been issued by Pier 1's corporate office.

It's interesting that Pier 1 stores in areas with booming economies like Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Waldorf, Bowie, Pasadena, Laurel and Columbia - to name just a few - are remaining open in our region. Pier 1 has been a fixture in Rockville as long as I can remember. 

The pending closures would have come as a shock if it were not for the widespread consensus that Montgomery County's economy has stagnated, according to every relevant benchmark of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics over the last decade. Montgomery County has suffered a net loss of retail jobs since the turn of the century, according to the Maryland Retailers Association.

Destination Maternity closing at Montgomery Mall

Yet another Montgomery County business is closing its doors. Destination Maternity at Westfield Montgomery Mall will close. A closing sale is now underway.

The "Store Closing" and "Nothing Held Back!" signs now ubiquitous across moribund Montgomery County are present here, as well. We're in real trouble, folks.

Rockville Baskin Robbins closing

This entire counter display at the
Baskin Robbins at Congressional Plaza
is up for bid when the store closes

Baskin Robbins is closing at Congressional Plaza on Rockville Pike. The contents of the ice cream shop are scheduled to be auctioned off after the closure. This is sad news, as this was the best Baskin Robbins location in the county, in my opinion, since the old Bethesda one on Arlington Road closed many years ago. If you're a big 31 Flavors fan like me, you can even buy the entire counter display and recreate it in your basement recreation room. It's a puzzling closure, as there always seemed to be customers whenever I stopped in to buy something here.

Photo courtesy Capitol Online Auctions

Francesca's closing Rockville store

Women's apparel boutique Francesca's is closing at Pike & Rose. The Texas-based fashion chain announced earlier this year that it would be closing twenty to thirty of its more than 700 stores nationwide. They are now hosting a closing sale at this store, which is located at 11811 Grand Park Avenue.

The good news for loyal Francesca's customers is that their Bethesda Row and Montgomery Mall locations are not currently scheduled to close. The even better news is that you can save 50% on your entire purchase at the Pike & Rose closing sale.

Sears Gaithersburg closing, company spokesperson confirms

The Sears store in Gaithersburg will close by mid-December 2019, Sears/Kmart Public Relations Director Larry Costello confirmed to Suburban News Network, publisher of RockvilleNights.com. Located at Lakeforest Mall, the Gaithersburg store appeared on a list making the rounds of national news organizations, Reddit and Facebook groups, but the impending closure had not been officially confirmed by Sears until now.

Costello said a liquidation sale will begin mid-September at the Gaithersburg Sears and Stevensville Kmart stores. One Sears store in White Oak, and a Sears appliance outlet in Wheaton, will remain in Montgomery County after the Gaithersburg store has closed.

Kneipp closes at Montgomery Mall, EJJI Ramen reopens

Kneipp, a German retailer of natural, vegan bath and body products, has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The shop was the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy, which has suffered a net loss of over 2100 retail jobs since 2000, according to the Maryland Retailers Association. Kneipp's storefront is now blacked out, but inside it has been cleared out.

Another closure at the mall earlier this week was temporary. EJJI Ramen was closed at the beginning of the week. But the company, which has another location in Baltimore, says they had to close due to a mechanical problem. EJJI Ramen is now open again in the Dining Terrace.

Fuddrucker's Rockville closing

Fuddrucker's is closing at 1592-A Rockville Pike. An auction of the restaurant's contents has been scheduled for September 17, 2019. The restaurant is on the future site of B.F. Saul's Twinbrook Corner development.

Baja Fresh to close in Rockville

Baja Fresh "has lost its lease, is shutting its doors, and making a complete liquidation" of the contents of the restaurant, which is located at 1607 Rockville Pike in the Congressional Plaza shopping center. So states an online auction listing, which indicates the sell-off will take place on Monday, July 22, 2019. The photographs illustrating the items up for bid clearly show the Rockville location, and distinctive Congressional Plaza columns and stone masonry.

Closing sale underway at Saks Off Fifth in Rockville

The collapse of high-end retail in Montgomery County continues. A closing sale is now underway at Saks Off Fifth at Congressional Plaza on Rockville Pike. Items are 20-40% off, which somewhat undercuts the "Nothing Held Back!" claim. My guess is that unsold merchandise here will wind up at the many other Saks Off Fifth locations that remain open around the country.

Windows in the storefront display the "Everything Must Go!" signs now ubiquitous in shop windows around the county. Montgomery County has suffered a net loss of over 2100 retail jobs since 2000, according to the Maryland Retailers Association. The flight of the rich to lower-tax jurisdictions in the region has since cratered high-end retail centers in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, with the latter's once-touted "Rodeo Drive" of Wisconsin Avenue now a sad strip of vacant storefronts, aging apartments and smashed-out bus shelters.

Fu Shing closing at Westlake Crossing

Fu Shing Cafe at 10315 Westlake Drive by Montgomery Mall will close on July 1, 2019. The Chinese restaurant has been in business for twenty years. In announcing the closure, the owners said what they will miss the most after closing are the restaurant's loyal customers. Fu Shing is located in the Westlake Crossing shopping center.

Final week for Payless at Montgomery Mall

This is your last chance to pay less at Payless at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The store is in its final week of business, the latest victim of Montgomery County's moribund economy. Montgomery County has suffered a net loss of retail jobs since 2000, according to the Maryland Retailers Association.

Performance Bicycle Shop closing in Rockville

The "Everything Must Go!" and "Nothing held back!" going-out-of-business signs that have become so ubiquitous in moribund Montgomery County have popped up at Congressional Plaza on Rockville Pike. Performance Bicycle Shop is the latest victim. The store is holding a closing sale with prices up to 40% off. Montgomery County has suffered a net loss of more than 2100 retail jobs since 2000, according to the Maryland Retailers Association.