The Why Not Shop to Close in Old Town Alexandria

PHOTO courtesy of The Why Not Shop

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ALEXANDRIA, VA — One of Old Town Alexandria’s most iconic boutiques — The Why Not Shop — plans to close its doors after being in business for 53 years, the owner announced in an email and on Facebook Saturday.

The two-story children’s store sits on a popular corner at King Street and S. Lee Street, close to the waterfront. Known for its beautifully decorated windows, the store features clothing, books and toys for children and the young at heart. It was always the place to go for that perfect gift, stocking stuffer, Halloween costume or a young one’s outfit for a special occasion.

The store, which features a hand-painted sign out front with the words “Why Not?” has been known through the years for its imaginatively decorated windows for every holiday. The Why Not Shop also graciously worked with school fundraisers, donating special items from the store for auctions and also allowing Girl Scouts to sell cookies on its busy corner.

Everything in the store is currently 30 percent off and the store will be open at least through January, the owner said Saturday, in a message posted to Facebook announcing the store closing.

On Facebook, the store posted the announcement:

Dear friends, old and new, we are very sad to announce that after 53 great years on this beautiful Old Town corner Why Not? is closing its doors and saying goodbye. We will be here through January at least, and would love to see as many of you as possible stop by one last time and say hi. If you have had your heart set on something for a while, or want to stock up on cute, hard-to-find toys for future presents, now is a good time to do it, everything in the store is 30% off (all sales are final and not returnable.) Thank you all for the good times, we will miss you very much!

Later Saturday in an email, the store also sent a note to friends saying:

“Why Not? is very sad to announce that after 53 years of business we are closing our doors and saying goodbye. It has been a pleasure working with all of you through the years, and we thank you for all the advice and assistance. We expect to be open until end of January at least, for a closing sale of all stock, there will be no new orders, and if there are any open back orders, please cancel everything. Thank you once again and best of luck to everybody!”