Closing of the Under Armor store in downtown Detroit
Almost five years after opening in downtown Detroit, the Under Armor store is closing.
A spokesperson for Under Armor confirmed on Wednesday that the sportswear retailer’s store at 1201 Woodward will close on January 15, as Crain’s Detroit Business first reported.
The shutdown was not an easy decision, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
“As part of our normal operations, we are constantly assessing the footprint of our stores and making decisions based on our retail strategy…” the statement read. “Following a detailed assessment of our multi-year direct-to-consumer strategy, we determined that this location no longer aligned with our long-term plans. We thank our teammates and customers based in Detroit for their loyalty, and remind customers that they can continue to shop on UA.com.
It is not known how many employees would be affected by the store closure.
The Under Armor store opened in April 2017 and occupies the basement, first and second levels of the nine-story Kresge Building. He joined retailer Nike, which arrived on Woodward in 2016. Other retailers, including H&M and Madewell, have followed his arrival.
Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock owns the building, which sits across the street from the company’s mixed-use site project in Hudson, scheduled for completion in 2024. Bedrock and Under Armor plans announced for the opening of the 17,000 square foot store in November 2016.
“Much like Under Armor’s hometown of Baltimore, Detroit is experiencing an unprecedented wave of momentum right now, and we look forward to being a part of their exciting success story,” the companies said in a joint statement.
The closure of the Woodward store will leave Under Armor with stores in Auburn Hills, Birch Run, Byron Center and Howell, according to the company’s website.
The shutdown comes as retailers large and small reassess their store’s footprint amid the growth in online shopping spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also follows Michael Symon’s sudden shutdown last weekend. Roast restaurant to the Westin Book Cadillac after 13 years.
Twitter: @CWilliams_DN