Venerable men's clothing store Hubert White, which has operated in downtown Minneapolis for nearly 90 years, will close this summer.
Owner Bob White — the grandson of founder Hubert "Bert" White — announced in a social media post Wednesday that after 50 years running the haberdashery, he would retire and close the Nicollet Mall store Aug. 1.
The closing of the store is another reminder of the challenges facing downtown retailers as they grapple with a smaller population of office workers after the pandemic. According to the Minneapolis Downtown Council, downtown buildings are only 65% occupied as of this month.
Sales have been steadily rising at Hubert White, Bob White said, but haven't increased back to 2019 numbers largely because downtown workers haven't fully returned.
"If one is to do this in our industry, it's got to be on this cycle because there's still time to cancel our fall orders," he said.
The store outfitted the wealthy — such as corporate executives, hedge fund managers and Minnesota Twins players — as well as those interested in classic menswear.
Steve Cramer, chief executive of the Downtown Council, called the store closing the end of an era.
"It's certainly a sad thing for downtown and in keeping with larger trends about retail that we're well aware of and trying to address going forward," Cramer said, "but more than anything else, it's gratitude for the relationships they had with customers over the years."