The Gap located at 20 South Main Street will officially close on April 22, Kimberly Terry, senior manager at Gap Brand Engagement, said in an email to The Dartmouth. A J. Crew store is expected to open at the same location after the store's closing, according to Gap employees.
Gap also plans to open a Gap Outlet store at the Upper Valley Plaza in West Lebanon in early May, Terry said.
Gap store employees and representatives declined to comment on the reasons behind the store's closing. Most employees were not informed of the reasons, and store managers were instructed not to disclose this information to the public, Gap employees said. Employees, however, did mention that the Gap store will not offer any clearance sales before closing.
The closing of the retail store in Hanover is part of Gap's new real estate strategy that started in 2007, Terry said.
"We're constantly re-evaluating our real estate portfolio to ensure we have the right stores in the right places to best serve our customers," she said.
The company's plan to open a new outlet store in West Lebanon is due to its attempt to shift its focus away from "individually selected specialty stores" to more outlet stores, according to Terry. Gap is aiming to decrease its percentage of specialty stores from 85 percent in 2007 to 75 percent in 2013, while increasing its proportion of outlet stores from 15 to 25 percent during the same time period.
Bryan Smith, store manager at International DVD and Poster, said the arrival of J. Crew would initially help the local economy.
"The initial bump in business from the opening of the new J. Crew will help businesses," he said. "There's always a rise in business when stores open or close. It's a recognizable name, and it's what the College wants to make the town look like part of the real world, even though prospective students love mom and pop stores like this one."
Elizabeth Brailsford '15 expressed excitement about the potential arrival of J. Crew in Hanover.
"I'm very excited about the J .Crew opening because it's an affordable option that many college students can choose, but it's also very stylish clothing," she said. "The styles change from season to season, so you can shop there year round, and it never gets boring."
JuliAna, located at 44 South Main Street, will close in May when the store's lease expires, owner Bayle Drubel said. Drubel decided to not renew the lease for the store she started with her daughters Julia and Anna because her daughters have since pursued other interests, she said.
The family has operated the boutique for eight years, according to Bayle Drubel.
She said she has no intention of founding any new clothing stores in the near future.
"It has been a wonderful eight years," Drubel said. "We have received a lot of positive feedback from the community because although we are catered to the Dartmouth coed crowd, our fabulous customers include women of all ages."
The boutique has slashed prices on much its apparel and accessories in a major sale that began on Tuesday. JuliAna will continue to feature major sales on all of its merchandise until it closes in May, store manager Deb Holmes, who has worked at JuliAna for seven years, said.
"We buy out for each season way in advance," Holmes said. "We ordered our spring merchandise a while ago, but could not cancel the orders, so everything is still coming. We will continue to restock and will be here until May."
Juliana has not yet set an exact closing date, according to Holmes.
"I definitely think JuliAna's is closing for the right reasons because it's nothing negative," Smith said. "The youngest daughter just graduated from high school and the family just had other things to do. It's always hard to see businesses close in Hanover."
Current Gap employees at the Hanover location may seek employment elsewhere or continue to work at Gap brand stores which also include Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime and Athleta at various locations throughout the country, according to Terry.
"We have a strong track record of placing the majority of employees at either another Gap location or at one of our sister brands," Terry said.
In addition to the upcoming closures, Hanover Outdoors, Brambles, Campions and Gusanoz Mexican restarant have closed within the last two years due to financial troubles.
