Gypsy Hill Boutique will mark the latest tenant to join Perkins Rowe when it opens this Saturday.
The Hammond-based boutique will move into the 618-square-foot space vacated by Flip Flop Shops, which opened in 2012 but has since closed. Located between California Pizza Kitchen and Rock N Pops, Gypsy Hill will offer women’s clothing (including plus-size), as well as children’s clothing, athletic wear, shoes and gifts.
Owner Britney Leon tells Daily Report she signed a one-year lease with Perkins Rowe to operate as a pop-up retailer, but plans to sign a five-year lease on the space once the yearlong arrangement ends.
“I need to be out of my current building by tomorrow, or else I’ll be charged rent for February,” Leon says. “When I found out the space was available, I only had two weeks to pack up, and [Perkins Rowe] couldn’t get me as a permanent store with that short of notice, so the pop-up arrangement worked best.”
Leon says she’s moving from Hammond to Baton Rouge in an effort to pick up more foot traffic, which she’s seen on both weekdays and weekends at Perkins Rowe when working out at the LA Fitness.
Acknowledging she’ll face competition from other boutiques in the development, such as Frock Candy and Impeccable Pig, Leon says Gypsy Hill brings something different to the mix by offering more mature clothing options for women older than the typically targeted college-age demographic.
It’s not clear what Perkins Rowe’s occupancy rate is today, as officials with the development did not respond to requests for comment before this afternoon’s deadline. But the retail development—at the corner of Perkins Road and Bluebonnet Boulevard—has seen multiple closings in the past two years, most notably Kona Grill and Lava Cantina, neither of which have been filled with new tenants.
At the same time, it has welcomed a shared office space provider called Spaces and restaurant Rouj Creole, among several other new tenants, and has increasingly focused its efforts on pop-up retail.
In mid-2016, Trademark Property took over management and leasing of Perkins Rowe from Stirling Properties after acquiring a minority ownership stake in the property.
