Uptown Boutique Les Sól announces its end

Four years of running a boutique in Minneapolis cured Mikaela Harrod of her desire for retail. The owner of Les Sól says she’s over it. On June 30, the Uptown store will close permanently.

Earlier this week, Harrod announced her decision on Les Sól’s Instagram in a brutally honest post that detailed the many obstacles the boutique has faced since opening in 2020: the pandemic, a difficult economic climate, and now – the final nail in the coffin – main road construction on Jeziorna Street, where Les Sól is located.

“Small businesses in Uptown are hurting. We believe that since 2020 (and even well before), the city has not done enough to help our little piece of Minneapolis,” Harrod said in the post. “We are sad to have to close our doors, but in some ways we are relieved. And in a strange way, we hope that our closure will serve as a reminder to the city that more needs to be done to help other small businesses.”

For example, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (MN DEED) announced the MN Promise Act during the 2023 legislative session, a loan and grant program designed to support disadvantaged small businesses located in certain districts of the state.

After waiting months to receive the grant, Harrod learned that Les Salt was located three blocks from the support zone and was therefore ineligible for the grant. “Getting this grant would be nice to be able to support rent in this (economic climate),” she said.

So in early 2024, Harrod, along with his co-owner and sister Megan (who works in Utah), developed two scenarios: a growth strategy and a closure plan. The chosen path would be determined by the 2024 results. But when construction on Uptown began in February, Harrod said she knew there was no point in waiting until the end of the year. “We said, ‘Well, I feel like the decision has already been made for us.’

“For most of the time we were in business, I didn’t pay myself any money,” she said. “So we just decided that rather than take on more debt, we just had to end it.”

Although there were still three years left on the lease at Les Sól in Uptown, Harrod was able to negotiate a termination agreement with the owners. In May, Harrod fired two of the boutique’s employees, leaving her alone for the rest of its existence. “I’m just tired,” she said.

It’s hard enough to get people in the door and then many of them compare prices with fast fashion or hear shoppers say they’ll be looking for the same item online. “I’m in top form at this. Why force something that doesn’t work?”

Even though Les Sól’s doors are closing, the store won’t disappear completely, Harrod said between calls to customers. “I couldn’t leave Minneapolis without stressing about the store,” she said. He plans to sell at some summer pop-up events. “We have a lot of debts to pay off, but we are trying to pay them off slowly. I’ll just try to get better.”

The 29-year-old is excited to turn a new page in her career, take up photography and perhaps become a postpartum doula, inspired by her mother, who is a midwife. And despite feeling a bit jaded by the retail landscape, Harrod had a lot to say about the journey. Here are some of her key takeaways.

E-commerce is not the right solution

Before Les Sól opened a physical store, Harrod launched it as an e-commerce boutique. She and her co-owner only made a few thousand dollars before they decided to sign the lease. Lately, Harrod said she’s been asked more and more often, “Well, have you tried online?”

“It’s like, ‘yeah, that’s where we started,’” Harrod said. However, breaking through as a small business online can be even more difficult than in your neighborhood, especially if a weaker SEO history makes it difficult to appear at the top of Google results. “We don’t think it’s particularly helpful for sales,” she said of e-commerce. “It’s hard to even compete with the brands we carry, let alone other stores.”

Small is not enough

We’ve all seen it. The “Shop Small” initiative is flooding social media. This call for communities to support local businesses was especially prevalent at the beginning of the pandemic. “The community really wanted to come together and support each other, which made me feel optimistic about the future. But once we’ve been through it, the idea of ​​community now seems much more unattainable,” she said, sharing that the store often had long days without customers.

Since Les Sól announced its closure, Harrod has received many messages from customers apologizing for not doing enough to support the boutique. “But this is much bigger than just a few people,” she said.

While the boutique owner certainly understands the appeal of convenience through faster, cheaper options like Amazon, she pointed out the performatism that can be associated with “Shop Small” posts, regardless of their good intentions. “We just like to post (about companies) and we think it’s okay – we don’t put our money where our mouth is. And for many of us, that’s not possible because we’re broke. But for those of us who can (afford to shop a little)… It’s just hard to see that dichotomy.”

The definition of success is relative

A few years ago, being the “boss girl” was a hot person that Harrod was very attracted to; now he cringes a little about it. “I just want to disappear and get off the grid,” she joked.

“(The hustle culture) is highly praised,” she said, sharing that her retail experience left her feeling like a failure. “There’s the financial pressure of mounting bills, and then there’s the pressure of wanting to be in front of my artists that I cover and sell their stuff so that we can all benefit together.”

But conversations with the artists and designers Les Sól had in his store helped Harrod redefine the meaning of success. “I did it,” she said. “I was there to support these people who I really appreciate and admire, and it worked – we did it for four years. It just doesn’t work anymore.”

“The definition of success is very relative,” she added.

“It is worth a try”

Despite bills, debt and an all-too-intimate look at the economic complexities of being an Uptown business owner, Harrod said she would do it all again. “It’s worth a try,” she said. “I thought about it a lot and sometimes I regret doing it all, but in the end Les Sól managed to create a community that is so special that I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Harrod made countless contacts and friendships through the boutique; she has seen neighbors come and go, but she has also seen some who have become successful retail businesses. She still has high hopes for Uptown, where she and her sister grew up. However, he believes that revitalization will take years, especially due to construction failures.

“I never expected that I wouldn’t keep up with Les Sól and continue doing so for 10 years. I just don’t have the strength to go on anymore,” she said. “It takes someone really special to keep this going and I just don’t have the energy anymore. But I think there is hope for people who really push through.