A fixture of West Hollywood's Santa Monica Boulevard retail strip is shutting its doors for good. Brick & Mortar, the men's boutique at 8713 Santa Monica Boulevard, plans to close at the end of November after serving the neighborhood for more than two decades, and it's marking the occasion with a storewide 50% off sale.
The closure was first reported by WhatNow, which notes that Brick & Mortar was opened in 2006 by Evan Hughes, who was later joined by a business partner named Steve. The shop built its identity around independent brands and distinctive pieces rather than conventional mainstream fashion, carving out a niche among West Hollywood's more corporate retail offerings.
On its own website, Brick & Mortar describes itself as a neighborhood boutique geared toward men, offering trendy fashion, one-of-a-kind jewelry, home accessories, and gifts. The site now greets visitors with a direct message: “STORE CLOSING: Thanks for more than 20 years, WeHo!” according to shopatbrick.com. The same message confirms that “Everything in-store and online is now 50% OFF as we wind down.”
What's On the Racks Before It's Gone
The boutique's clothing range includes shirts, T-shirts, tops, pants, shorts, underwear, and swimwear, the shop's report notes, alongside accessories, home goods, and seasonal collections. Beyond its physical storefront, Brick & Mortar also operates an online store that has served customers well beyond West Hollywood, meaning the closing sale isn't limited to shoppers who can walk through its doors.
A Mixed Picture for West Hollywood Retail
Brick & Mortar's closure lands amid a complicated retail landscape in the city. West Hollywood's retail vacancy rate stood at 9.2%, according to the Los Angeles Times, and vacancy across the city has climbed steadily in recent years, per data from Illi Commercial Real Estate cited by Los Angeles Magazine. A Rodeo Realty broker described the broader West L.A. retail market as slightly on the weaker side, squeezed by high interest rates and economic uncertainty, the outlet reported.
Still, the city's top official has pushed back on the idea of a retail collapse. West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Byers said the number of businesses that have opened in the city has far surpassed the number that have closed over the past year, according to ABC7. Byers pointed to a lack of foot traffic as a lingering factor affecting storefronts in the post-pandemic era, even as dozens of restaurants on the Sunset Strip closed over the same stretch, including Pink Taco, Charcoal, and Le Petit Four.
Part of a Broader Wave of Longtime Closures
Brick & Mortar's exit echoes other long-running L.A.-area retail farewells this year. In Westwood Village, the gift shop Aahs! closed after 45 years, with owner Jack Bhasin citing declining foot traffic, recent business closures nearby, and a lack of accessible parking, Hoodline previously reported in its piece on the last Aahs! gift store closing. That same Westwood corridor also lost an Urban Outfitters location that had operated there for more than 22 years before closing in August.
For now, shoppers looking to grab a piece of Brick & Mortar's 20-year run on Santa Monica Boulevard can still do so at half price, whether they stop by the storefront or shop through its website before the lights go out at the end of the month.
