Anthropologie, two others leaving Birmingham

By Lisa Brody

In a sharp reversal for downtown Birmingham, three longtime retail establishments are shutting their doors, with Anthropologie, which has been located at 214 W. Maple Road for 30 years, closing in February, Moosejaw Bike & Snow, 284 W. Maple Road shutting its doors, and fab'rik, 123 W. Maple, having already closed up shop.

For many Birmingham shoppers, Anthropologie, known for its unique, bohemian mix of lifestyle clothing for women of all ages, along with casual jewelry, lingerie, home furnishings and accessories, is the closest equivalent to an anchor store downtown Birmingham has had since the former Jacobson's department store closed in 2002.

According to its website, the downtown Birmingham store will officially close Friday, February 9.

Unofficial sources stated remaining full-time store employees will be transferred to an all new Anthropologie store at Twelve Oaks Mall. According to unofficial sources, the decision by corporate to close the Birmingham store was due to ongoing issues with the landlord.

Some store employees, including a manager, have already transferred to the Somerset Collection store, which is planning on opening a new location next to Nordstrom's in June.

Moosejaw Bike & Snow is one of numerous Moosejaw locations around the country closing following a sale in February 2023 by Walmart to Dick's Sporting Goods. Moosejaw was created in 1992 by Bill Schulman, Robert Wolfe and David Jaffe. It became iconic for its quirky marketing and knowledgeable advice on camping, hiking and other outdoor activities. Walmart acquired Moosejaw in 2017 for $51 million, and helped to foster a vibrant e-commerce business along with 14 retail stores.

In September, Dick's announced they would close all but three Moosejaw stores – the Birmingham location near Papa Joe's; one in Salt Lake City; and another in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Fab'rik, which featured affordable and trendy women's wear, closed its Birmingham store on Saturday, December 30. The location opened in November 2019.