By Wailin Wong |
High-end boutique Jake is closing its Gold Coast store at the end of the month, bowing to economic woes that have forced other luxury retailers into similar dilemmas.
“Honestly, for the last 18 months we feel like we’ve been swimming against the current,” said Lance Lawson, who together with Jim Wetzel built Jake into one of the trendiest boutiques in the Midwest and a beacon for new designers. “Retail has changed a ton. Our business model really has been impacted by the changing consumer spending habits…We felt like it was time to move on and do something different.”