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Coach To Close Downtown Westport Store Next Month

WESTPORT, Conn. —  Downtown Westport is set to lose a major Main Street retailer. Coach, located at 155 Main St., will close its doors at the end of next month, store manager Nina Velez confirmed.

Coach, located at 155 Main St. in Westport, will close at the end of next month.

Coach, located at 155 Main St. in Westport, will close at the end of next month.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Inzitari

A designer handbag and accessories brand, Coach has had a Westport presence since 1992. Velez could not comment as to why the store is closing.

Stephen Desloge, president of the Westport Downtown Merchants Association, said losing Coach will affect the “flavor” of downtown Westport.

“You don’t want to lose a major tenant like that,” Desloge said. “It’s a great brand and we’ll be sad to see it go.”

Once Coach closes its doors, however, the space won't be empty for long, said landlord Lee Papageorge, who also owns Oscar’s Deli next door. Madewell, a women’s clothing company owned by J.Crew, has already signed a lease for the space, Papageorge said.

A national retailer, Madewell will take possession of the space on May 1 and is estimated to open three to four months after that, Papageorge said. The Westport store will be the third to open in the state, joining locations in Greenwich and Farmington, according to the Madewell website.

Fairfield resident Stephanie Jean, who was strolling Main Street Wednesday evening, was surprised to hear Coach is closing. Once the Westport store is gone, she said she'll likely shop at the Coach in Trumbull. Other Fairfield County stores are in Stamford and Danbury.

“[Coach] is one of the reasons I come shopping here,” Jean said. "I’ll hate to have to go to the Trumbull mall next time. I much prefer to shop here — it’s comfortable and quaint.”

Despite losing a major name like Coach, Desloge said there’s a “vibrant energy” on and around Main Street. Just this year, several new businesses have opened downtown, including Steven Alan, Paper Source, Pinkberry and Walin & Wolff.

Vince, a contemporary clothing line for men and women, is opening its first store in the state at 115 Main St. on Thursday. Several other new retailers are slated to open downtown this year, including Joie, a women’s clothing, shoes and accessories store, and Brandy Melville, a clothing boutique for young women.

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