After 112 years of serving the Seattle community with fine jewelry, Fox's Seattle, a longstanding family-owned business, is shutting its doors for good, marking the end of an era for the city's retail scene. Zoey Mann, the store's owner and the third generation to operate the business, spoke to KING 5 about the difficult decision to close the store, saying "We love the city, we've been here for 112 years, we love Seattle," but noting the "reality that we're facing" with decreased business since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite its storied history and deep roots in the Seattle area, the jewelry store has felt the impact of an urban landscape in flux; as reported by KING 5, downtown foot traffic has significantly dwindled with the number of daily workers hovering at just 80,000 last month, falling short of the more than 150,000 that bustled through in January 2019, before the pandemic disrupted life and local businesses. "What I'm seeing now is so many smaller neighborhoods in Seattle, getting foot traffic, which is great, and I love it," Mann said, but indicating the decrease has been crystal clear and it's time for a transition with so many other neighborhoods now absorbing former downtown patrons.
In an interview with The Seattle Times, Mann explained her personal struggle with managing work-life balance while managing Fox's Seattle, expressing, "In the last number of years, I constantly have to choose between my family and my work, and work seems to always win," and affirming, "And it's not fair to my family." The jewel of 4th Avenue and University Street has helped create countless sparkling moments for its patrons, but April 27 marks its final day in business.
As cited on BNN Breaking, the shifting dynamic and reduced casual visitors posed insurmountable challenges for Fox’s Seattle in recent years, a difficult contrast to its once thriving existence when the family business witnessed generation after generation learn and grow within its walls; this demise highlights the broader shifts businesses are experiencing in post-pandemic downtown areas. For Seattleites wanting to catch the last gleam of this heritage business, there's still a chance to say their goodbyes and perhaps secure a final piece of its legacy during Fox's final sale, which began on February 29 and continues until the closing day.
