Posted on January 7, 2020

Several downtown business owners are starting the new year with a change as they prepare to move to new locations on and around the Union Square District and elsewhere.

Yesterday, Latest Wrinkle Boutique owner Leslie Rogers announced her plans to move to Dallas to pursue new goals.

“I’m getting out of retail,” she said, adding that she is moving for personal reasons.

Rogers’s last day at the sales counter will be Monday, and until then, she is having a closing sale with all merchandise other than jewelry being sold at 50% off.

Any inventory still in stock after Monday will be transferred to Martha’s on the Square owner Martha Barrios, who will also honor Latest Wrinkle gift cards through the year.

“Business was great, and I loved the community,” Rogers said. “The move is a personal thing … Thanks to everyone for the business.”

Martha’s on the Square is also moving, and will be closed through Monday, when the business will move into the space that will, by then, have previously housed Latest Wrinkle (104 E. Elm St.).

“God has orchestrated everything to work out just perfect,” Barrios said. “I couldn’t have done it myself.”

However, Latest Wrinkle’s location is not the last stop for Martha’s. Currently, employees from Mac’s Tree Service are renovating the building that formerly housed Larry’s Rexall Pharmacy (102 E. Elm St.), separating the space into two distinct sections that will house both Martha’s and Almost Blonde.

“They completely gutted it,” Barrios said. “Everything will be brand new.”

Barrios said she is excited for the move.

“We’re looking for bigger and better things on that side of the square,” Barrios said. “We want to revitalize that side of the square.”

Almost Blonde, the salon located next door to Martha’s current spot on Main Street, will be on the corner-side of the newly renovated Elm Street building, with Martha’s directly next door. Owner Heather Gilmore said the salon will remain open in its current location until the end of February, and she and Barrios hope to see the renovations at their new space completed by then.

“So the goal is March 1, but you know how construction can be,” Gilmore said. “I don’t think we’ll have much lag time before we open.”

Gilmore said that since her new space will be larger than the salon she is currently working out of, she will be able to offer more services, like waxing treatments. She also plans to hire several new employees.

“We’re really excited to be in the new location and actually be on the square; we technically aren’t right now, so that’s something I’m excited about,” Gilmore said.

Southern Threads Boutique owner Hannah Pitre purchased the building that currently houses Martha’s (211 E. Main St.). Pitre said Southern Threads will move to that location and she hopes to have the doors open by the start of February.

“It’s a better location for sure,” Pitre said. “We’ll be able to expand our inventory, our floor space. I’m absolutely excited. … We’re going to do plus-sizes, some gifts; we’re going to have more jewelry, and we’re going to have to do some remodeling, so that’s kind of an exciting thing, to get to redesign the store.”

Southern Threads is currently located on South Washington Street, in a space much smaller than what will soon be its new location. The boutique opened just over a year ago, and Pitre said she’s been surprised at how successful it has been in that short time.

“I wasn’t expecting to be doing so well for this short of time,” she said.

The location changes are a relatively large shake-up for businesses on the square; both Martha’s and Almost Blonde have been at their current locations on Main Street for almost 10 years. Latest Wrinkle was successful during its year in business, Rogers said, and Southern Threads may find even more success as it continues at its new spot, which may be more visible to those visiting the square than the current location on Washington.

Caitlan Butler can be reached at 870-862-6611 or cbutler@eldoradonews.com.