Retailer comings and goings

News that Liz Claiborne are closing their Sigrid Olsen chain of upmarket womenswear stores, with the brand's stores expected to be all closed by mid year, including the one at The Village at Corte Madera.


As the remix of tenants continues at The Village at Corte Madera, one new sign last week announced that Martin + Osa are due to open there soon. It will be the second Bay Area store for the American Eagle-owned brand, which opened its first local outlet last year at Westfield's San Francisco Center. The store's namesakes - Martin & Osa - were aparently a couple of adventurers who explored the world in the 1900s. So the brand is all about casual, outdoors gear; more upscale than American Eagle. Trendy but safe in a Banana Republic kinda way.


Talking of BR, a big goodbye to the Banana Republic store in Mill Valley, which closed its doors for the last time today. As you probably know, Mill Valley is where Banana Republic first started, sometime in the 1970s. They moved into larger premises in the town many years ago, but it is still a loss for the town. Although the lack of public outcry suggests BR won't be missed as much as Sweetwater, Village Music or even Jenny Loews, which closed last year.