BALTIMORE — Poppy and Stella boutique, known for its upcale, feminine clothes, shoes and accessories, is now closing - only a short while after it opened its latest store at Towson's Shops at Kenilworth mall.
Owner Kelley Krohn Heuisler wrote on social media that she's shutting down the business, after 16 years. She's among the many local business owners blaming the pandemic's aftermath for creating a very challenging environment.
She wrote:
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the past three years have impacted every single business owner I know in a huge way. We’ve all had to pivot and adjust and hustle harder than ever just to keep everything afloat. And while, thankfully, we aren’t living in a pandemic any longer, the ramifications are still being felt each day. It’s taken a toll mentally, emotionally, and physically on so many of us, and I recently had the realization that I could move on. It’s weird, I honestly hadn’t even thought of what my life would look like without Poppy & Stella. And while it’s heartbreaking to think of this journey coming to an end, it’s liberating as well. My three daughters will get to know a mom that can, for once, turn her phone off and just be present.
Poppy and Stella previously closed its original Fell's Point store, launched in 2008. The company continued to grow over the years, offering popular clothing brands like Free People and shoes like Dr. Martens both online and in its stores. Its Ellicott City location just closed for good Nov. 19, according to the website, but is still open at Shops at Kenilworth.
