Kitchen Gear Markdown
2 Dallas Williams-Sonoma stores to close in January
Two Dallas branches of upscale kitchen store Williams-Sonoma are shutting down, with a closing date set for mid-January. The two closures are at Highland Park Village and Galleria Dallas.
A manager at the Galleria store confirmed that the closures would take place on or about January 19. "We're closing because the rent is too high," she said.
The store at the Highland Park Village seemed like an odd fit among the fashion designers that dominate that center. A staffer at a nearby store speculated that the space was being earmarked for a Louis Vuitton store, but Highland Park Village president Ray Washburne said the space will become a pop-up store still to be identified.
"Williams-Sonoma's lease was coming up, and we offered to extend it," Washburne said. "We love them as a tenant and wanted them to stay. But they they couldn't make it work. Their lease goes until the end of January, and we have a temporary pop-up store that will go in there when they leave."
Williams-Sonoma has targeted January for closures in the past; the chain is also closing a store in Tennessee.
The Williams-Sonoma at NorthPark Center will remain open, as well as stores in Plano, Southlake and Fort Worth. Williams-Sonoma's parent company also owns West Elm at Mockingbird Station, which was just advertising for a store manager in early December.
Meanwhile, there are bargains to be had: Both stores that are closing will feature 20 percent off all merchandise.