Fashion Exchange To Shutter Market Street Store

Fashion Exchange To Shutter Market Street StorePhoto: Denny G./Hoodline
Shane Downing
Published on April 17, 2017

It’s official: Fashion Exchange's Castro location (2215 Market St.) will shutter at the end of April.

A little over a month ago, we noticed the store increasing the discounts on its window signs promoting a clearance sale. We weren’t alone.

"Fashion Exchange on Market has 30 to 50 percent off,” a tipster wrote. “Doesn't look too good.”

Over the weekend, tipster Denny G. reached out to to tell us Fashion Exchange “is sadly closing,” which we confirmed with a store employee today. 

Like other secondhand clothing stores, Fashion Exchange buys and sells a mix of new and used men’s and women’s clothing items, including shoes and accessories.

Although the employee didn’t go into any specifics as to why the store is closing, we took a deep dive last month into the high number of retail vacancies in the Castro, and found that online retail and high rent prices are making things difficult for small business owners.

Fashion Exchange also has a fair amount of local competition: two other secondhand clothing stores, Crossroads Trading Company and Sui Generis, are both a block away.

Besides the Castro location, there are two other Fashion Exchanges in the city, on Clement and Polk streets. “Both stores will remain open,” the employee said. Another Fashion Exchange in the Haight closed back in 2012.

Visitors can drop by the store until the end of April. In the meantime, it will continue to buy some “exceptional items” from customers and maintain its regular business hours.

Thanks to tipster Denny G. for the tip. See something interesting while you’re out and about? Text Hoodline and we’ll see what we can find: (415) 200-3233.