On Cloud 9 was one of the only clothing store options in the city, leaving students with few places to add to their wardrobes.
After just two years of business, College Park’s only fashion boutique, On Cloud 9, is closing its doors for good.
The store opened in March 2011 on College Avenue down the street from Wasabi Bistro, marketing its trendy women’s clothing in hopes of filling a gap in the city’s retail offerings. But owner Carol Gowling owned three other stores, and after her husband died last year, she decided maintaining her College Park location was too much to handle, said Briana Abedi, who works at the store.
“It was more of a personal situation … more that she didn’t have the time,” Abedi said. “She has daughters who go [to this university] but are graduating, so it’s not worth it for her to stay. [The store] wasn’t doing enough for her to use her time and energy to stay here.”
Its lease ends in late May, but On Cloud 9 might close earlier, possibly within the next few weeks, Abedi said. The city’s only higher-end fashion store is selling everything for 50 percent off and will close when it runs out of merchandise, she added.
Michael Stiefvater, the city’s economic development coordinator, said he hadn’t anticipated the store’s closing, at least for business reasons.
“Walking by, there’s usually people in there,” Stiefvater said. “People shop there for their daughters, so I always thought they were doing well.”
But business reasons also contributed to Gowling’s decision to close, Abedi said. Gowling could not be reached for comment by phone or email.
Clothing stores in College Park have struggled with a lack of space, high rent and seasonal drops in business, Stiefvater told The Diamondback in a previous interview. The city’s only long-standing clothing store is Rugged Wearhouse in the College Park Shopping Center, which appeals to many of its customers precisely for what On Cloud 9 lacks: cheap prices.
On Cloud 9’s clothing, though unique and trendy, was too expensive for a college town, several students said.
“I like the clothes; it’s a cute store,” said Natalia Peredo, a freshman enrolled in letters and sciences. She had been to the store about five times, adding the prices were high but it was her only option in the city.
The store’s layout reminded senior family science major Sadé Diggs of a boutique, but she was also turned off by the prices.
“I’m a college student, and I’m broke and I’m currently not working, so I couldn’t really buy everything I wanted from there,” Diggs said.
But Diggs added she thought other students might shop there because of the store’s unique offerings, which are different from those at stores such as Forever 21 and American Apparel.
Diggs, who is involved in the campus group Echelon Fashion Society, said she hopes to see more clothing stores come to College Park. Members of the organization visit boutiques and designers in the Washington area to find clothes for their fashion shows. But it would be a lot easier if they didn’t have to travel so far, Diggs said.
“I don’t drive, so everywhere I get to is by bus or if someone drops me off,” she said. “So it would be easier if we had more in the area. … Rugged [Wearhouse] is the closest thing other than [The Mall at Prince Georges], and even [that] mall isn’t really convenient, because you have to catch a bus to campus and it doesn’t run like I want it to run.”
There are no current plans for another clothing store to open in College Park, Stiefvater said. A landlord initially was looking for a place to open a vintage clothing store, he added, but it “didn’t end up happening.”
On Cloud 9’s closing isn’t anything out of the ordinary, Stiefvater said, but rather represents the transient nature of the retail industry.
“On the bright side, we have lots of openings — Garbanzo [Mediterranean Grill] and The Maryland Smokehouse,” he said. “It’s just the reality of the retail world in general. For every place that closes, one or two opens as well.”
Stiefvater isn’t sure what will replace On Cloud 9 on College Avenue, but because of the way the space is built, he said it most likely wouldn’t be a restaurant.
Some students, such as Diggs, will continue to hold out hope for another clothing store. Diggs would be happy with anything: a chain clothing store, a thrift store, a men’s clothing store or even a shoe store.
“We really don’t have anything, now that I think about it,” she said.
