Children's Clothing Store Will Close Its Doors in May

After 16 years of business in Potomac Village, will close its doors at the end of May.

The children’s clothing store, which recently had a , will close on May 31 or a date near that, said Owner Barbara Cohn. The damage to the store could affect when it closes, she added.

“We’re shutting our doors because independent retailers are a thing of the past,” Cohn said. “In five years there will be no independent retailers.”

Full of Beans will close after several other local businesses have vacated Potomac Village because income could not compensate for the rent prices. in December because of high rent prices and the Surrey Saddlery left its location in Potomac Promenade for Darnestown more than a year ago because of the rent.

For Full of Beans, the cost of doing business and the changing shopping habits lead to its close, Cohn said.

“High rent is one factor in why we closed, but there is no customer loyalty and people are looking for the cheapest place to get things,” she said.

Zuckerman Gravely Management, which owns the Potomac Place Shopping Center and manages its properties, said Full of Beans is leaving because its lease ended, not solely because of the rent costs. The company has been willing to work with its tenants who are struggling financially, said the Vice President of Zuckerman Gravely Management, James Rich.

“Every business is impacted by the economy in different ways,” he said. “Everyone is confronting changes that are coming with the economy and making decision about what will work for their particular business.”

Although it is not yet known what will fill Full of Beans’ space, Zuckerman Gravely Management is talking with potential tenants, Rich said.

In the coming weeks, the clothing store — which has no plans to continue business elsewhere — will be preparing for its final sales, Cohn said.

“I don’t like ‘going out of business sales,’ so we are having a ‘dent’ sale — like a tent sale,” she said.